Fifty Shades Scandalized
by JazzHands22
Summary: What if Ana decided to stay out with Ethan after Leila's grand entrance?
1. Chapter 1

What if Ana didn't come home right away after having drinks with Ethan? I do not own these characters, this is all for fun.

Chapter 1

Ana leaned back on the barstool and finished the last of her drink. Ethan gazed at her, somewhat impressed with how well she was doing. "Kate always made you sound like such a lightweight, Ana," he shook his head and nodded to the door. "We should probably get going soon, though. I think the bartender wants to close up shop."

Ana giggled a little to herself. Boy, when Christian go a hold of her he was going to be irate. True, he did tell her to come home, but his stunt with Leila hardly put him in a position to make demands. Whenever Ana thought about what happened earlier she felt sick to her stomach. If anything it proved how much Christian loved his games he played with the subs. The way he revered back so naturally was striking.

"I don't want to go home, Ethan. I can't deal with this shit tonight, but if you have something else to do, I'll just call someone else and spend the night with them." She watched as Ethan thought this over.

Finally, he spoke. "Well, I was planning on stopping by a friend's house, actually. I might even crash there now, since I guess Kate's place will be some kind of crime scene. You can come with me if you really don't want to go back tonight. I think there's a party going on even, so it might be fun."

Ana smiled. "Sounds good." She hoped off of the stool with a little too much enthusiasm and stumbled a bit as a result. Ethan steadied her and paid the bartender, who didn't even try to cover his smirk. Obviously, he thought that Ethan was just trying to get her loaded to get in her pants.

"Shit!" Ana said, when they got outside. "I can't even help you with a cab. If you want to call it a night, that's fine Ethan. You have already done enough, buying me drinks and everything.

"It's no problem, Ana. I was going to call a cab to get there anyway. Geez, lighten up, okay? It was just a few drinks." He smiled to let her know that he was joking, but Ana accepted it as a warning. Tonight, she was going to have fun; no worrying about Mr. Grey's twitching palm, no looking over her shoulder for security. Tonight was all about getting away.

* * *

Christian Grey was literally pacing his downtown apartment. He told her to come home. He fucking told her! And now, Jason and Sawyer were both out scouring the city. He glanced at the clock on the wall. The fact that it was almost five in the morning made his blood boil. What was she thinking? Seattle is a huge city where so many things could happen.

He picked up his phone again, only to set it down. It was obvious that her phone was either dead or turned off because the calls went straight to voicemail. Although he defiantly had taken advantage of her inbox, he had abandoned that strategy because it failed to give him any answers regarding her safety.

"Fuck!" He screamed as he threw a lamp across the room. He listened to it shatter upon contact, though it did nothing to settle his nerves. He picked up the phone and dialed Jason once more. "Have you found anything?" he hissed when Jason picked up.

Jason cleared his throat. "Sir, we do have one lead. Apparently, one of the fraternities at the University is having a party tonight and there has been a picture of Ms. Steele posted online. I am just pulling into the garage, if you want to meet me downstairs we can drive over together."

Christian hangs up without answering and runs to the elevator door. If he thought his palm was twitching earlier, that is nothing compared to what was happening now. Had she no concern for her safety at all? Did she not know what happened at these type of places?


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank everyone for the reviews!**

Ana looked through the cab window as it made its way through the tree-lined drive. The University District was beautiful; she had heard from other people about the grandeur of the fraternity houses but had never been there herself. It had been about 20 minutes since leaving the bar and Ana was feeling the alcohol even more now.

She looked over at Ethan and smiled. "So, what does your friend do?"

"He is a grad student here and was a frat a few years ago. He is helping out with the party tonight, since most of the members are underage. From what I can remember, these parties can get a little out of hand, so don't go too far, 'kay Ana?" Ethan had a silly grin on his face and Ana had to smile. Ethan was the best choice when everything else went wrong; his good humor was literally infectious.

"So, you don't think I can take care of myself either, huh?" Ana was teasing , but it hurt to admit to herself that Christian had zero confidence in her abilities. How the hell did he think she had managed for 21 years before he showed up?

This got a rise out of Ethan. "I think you could handle just about anyone, Steele," he laughed. "At least, if you had Kate around you would stand a chance. I just know of about a dozen people who would be lining up to kill me if anything happened to you." Ana nodded: she had to give him that one. A vengeful Ray, Christian or Kate would be enough to put the fear of god into anyone.

The cab pulled to a stop in front of one of the larger houses and Ana could see that the party going strong. There was one girl puking in the bushes and a handful of people sitting on the lawn around a cooler, smoking. Loud music (and several even louder voices) carried beyond the walls of the house. Had she not been drinking, Ana would have felt apprehensive, but given her state of mind, she opened the car door and slide right out onto the sidewalk.

Ethan paid the cabdriver and followed her out, making sure she didn't trip on the uneven pavement. "We'll just hang out for a while and see how things go," he whispered to her. "If you ever want to leave, just let me know."

Ana nodded that she understood and stepped across the threshold. There was so much going on that it was hard to know where to look. Some college boy came forward out of the crowd with a drink ready in his hand.

"Hey. Thirsty?" he smirked and tried to hand her the cup. Ethan pushed him out of the way and led her to the back of the house.

"Don't take drinks from anyone but me, okay?" he rumbled close to her ear. Ana nodded and hugged his arm a little tighter, which helped to steady herself once more. Ethan was a good friend and she was thankful to have him with her tonight.

They made it to the kitchen and Ethan gave a few of the guys a greeting and introduced her. It was hard to hear over the music, so she just smiled. Ethan handed her a drink, which smelled strongly of tequila. He got one for himself, too, and leaned casually against the counter.

One of the taller guys in the group winked at her and she felt herself blush to the roots of her hair. Ethan appeared not to notice, completely consumed with his side conversation. Taking advantage of his distraction, Tall leaned closer to Ana. "So, you and Ethan a thing now?" he whispered.

The alcohol in her system made it hard to respond. Before she could speak, Tall shook his head slightly. "I'll take that as a no, then." He grabbed Ana by her wrist, attempting to lead her away from the group. She managed to protest enough that Ethan finally realized what was happening.

"Jesus, Daniel, leave her alone. She's with me, alright?" Tall/Daniel had enough shame to look a little guilty, but just shrugged his shoulders and wandered off into the living room alone.

Thankfully, the other men in the kitchen seemed to take the hint as well and left Ana alone for the most part after that. Since no one was bothering her, Ana began regaining her confidence in following Ethan to the party. She silently reviewed her intentions for the night, given the fact that it was unlikely that she would be having another free night for a while. Yes, tonight was about having fun and that is what she wanted to do. She gazed back at the foyer and discovered that there were several people playing karaoke. She leaned over to Ethan and he lowered his head so he could hear her. "I want to play a song."

He glanced at the machine and gave her a big grin and a wink. He told the big guy next to him and the three of them headed over to the crowd. Big Guy introduced her and handed her a microphone. Ana felt herself becoming self-conscious, but shoved the feeling away as she took a drink from her cup and handed it to Ethan.

The song started and she realized that it was actually one that she knew. Katy Perry had never sounded so good and she sung every word of _I kissed a Girl_, stumbling only when she slurred too much. The crowd was growing and everyone seemed to love it. She noted mentally that a few of them had even taken out their phones to capture the moment.

After the song was over, a new guy stepped forward, trying to coax her off the stage, but Ethan was too quick. He helped her down and steadied her once more. "Oh my god, Ana, you were amazing!" he yelled over the crowd. "Where the hell did you learn to sing like that?"

Ana smiled and was about to answer, but she suddenly felt sick. "I think I need to lie down, Ethan."

He looked a little worried, but nodded his head. He drug her over to where Big Guy was standing and whispered something to him. Big Guy nodded and handed Ethan a key from his wallet. Ethan walked her up the stairs and stopped at one of the bedroom doors. He took out the key and opened the door. The room was dark and Ana had to blink several times to adjust her eyes.

"This is the room I was going to stay in tonight. The party will probably go on until morning, but you can stay here, too, if you don't want to go home." Ethan closed the door and locked it again with the key. "Just don't open the door for anyone. I don't need any drunk dudes in here."

Ana giggled at the thought, but solemnly nodded her head when Ethan glared at her. Geez, were all guys this hung up? Ana turned around and spied the huge king sized bed. It looked amazing.

Without thinking, she jumped on it and began bouncing. Ethan watched her, slightly amused. "I get it that you want the bed. I can sleep on the floor."

Ana slowed down and gave him a sheepish nod. "Tanks, Etan," she slurred.

She fell back on the bed and leaned her head against the pillow, without even worrying about getting under the covers. She heard Ethan rustling around, but soon she fell into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks agian everyone! I love your suggestions!**

Jason and Christian sat in silence as they sped through downtown Seattle and headed north to the University District. It seemed like every second was an eternity and for once Christian was thankful for his seatbelt. Right now it was the only thing keeping him in his seat.

Jason glanced down at Christians fidgeting hands and dialed Luke Sawyer. "Yes, we have a lead." Jason paused and then nodded at his headset. "Yes, the fraternity house at the University. I have Mr. Grey with me. We'll meet you there."

Jason hung up and cast Christian a quick glance. With his hair ruffled and his eyes bloodshot he was a sight to behold. "I am sure she is fine, sir. We will bring her home safely." Christian gritted his teeth in an attempt to keep from exploding, but it was a useless cause.

"What the FUCK was she thinking?" he shouted once more. What Christian wanted was answers and he was determined to find some before the end of the night. Every time he closed his eyes he had pictures of drunk, rowdy boys touching Ana. His Ana.

"Faster, Jason!" Christian was going to lose it soon. He knew that if any of his speculations were true there would be no stopping him. Jason leaned on the gas and weaved through the traffic. Finally, they made it to the University and were on Greek Row.

Chrisitan did not even wait for the car to come to a complete stop. The frat house reflected serious damage from the night's activities. Christian sucked in a breath as he mentally prepared himself for the sight of Ana if she was among the people passed out in various places. Upon just entering the home he could spot at least seven or eight sprawled out on different furniture.

The house was eerily quiet and Christian began making his rounds, calling out for his girlfriend. "Ana? Ana, can you hear me?" Christian knew that his tone was less than welcoming, but it was better than the profanity he was screaming in his mind. Each of the other rooms downstairs housed only empty beer bottles and vomit. Christian gladly waded through the sludge, hoping that Ana had not left the house for another location.

He made a full circle around and came back to the landing in front of the stairs. He could hear Taylor rousing some of the people on the furniture and asking them about Ana. Christian wasted no time getting up the stairs. His shouts finally produced a response from one of the rooms. Christian raced to the end of the hall only to be greeted by a half-naked man who reeked of alcohol.

"What the fuck are you yelling about dude? It's like five in the fucking morning," the hung-over frat boy whined. Christian's blood boiled, thinking that this loser might have been near Ana.

"I am looking for someone," Christian grumbled, threateningly. He pulled out the picture of her to show the man. "She was here last night. Do you know where she is?"

The man squinted at the photo. "Who, Ethan's girlfriend? Yeah, she has a good voice and a nice body, too. They called it an early night, though. I guess they had to take care of some business, you know? She was pretty trashed, after-" Christian suddenly had him pinned against the wall, feet dangling in the air.

" . Fuck. Is. She." he snarled. The thought of that fucker Ethan touching Ana… getting her drunk so that he could fuck with her… he was defiantly going to lose it now.

"They are down in one of the rooms," he stammered, eyes bulging. Christian's hold on him was strong and it was obvious who would win if things turned more physical. Christian dropped him to the floor and began calling for Ana again. Jason and Luke finally made it up the stairs and followed Christian down the hall as he tried to open each door.

The first he tried was unlocked, so he barged in without hesitation. This produced several screams from the couple in bed, who had apparently been in the throes of passion only moments before. The woman struggled to cover her breasts with the sheets as all three men swept the room.

The man she was with was stunned silent for a minute before getting in Luke's face, demanding that they all leave. Not wanting to waste any more time, they eagerly obliged. "Ana is going to pay for this," Christian muttered under his breath. Walking in on college kids was not how he wanted to spend his morning. Then again, it was likely that Ana and Ethan would both pay for this.

The next few rooms were unlocked and unoccupied. The fourth door was locked, but Jason efficiently broke the old handle with the butt of his gun. Together the three of them entered the room, only to find-

"Ana! What the hell is going on?" Christian screamed.


	4. Chapter 4

Ana was crying in her sleep. She stirred and realized that she had actually been sobbing for quite some time. As much as she tried to forget it, the images of Leila and Christian kept flashing in her mind. Her pillow was soaked with her tears and she was very, very warm from all of the alcohol. She slid out of the bed and undid her jeans. She also threw off her shirt, leaving her undershirt, bra and panties on. Much better.

Ethan stirred as she spread out on the bed agian, this time under the covers for comfort, and continued crying. "Ana? Are you okay?" Ethan stumbled over to the bed to see what was going on.

"I'm okay, just upset about yesterday. Sorry I woke you up," she sniffled. Ethan sat next to her awkwardly and put a hand on her shoulder, unsure of what to do next. Ana turned into him and buried her face in his shirt.

"Shhh, it's okay," he whispered. He leaned back on the bed and told himself he would only stay until she fell back asleep but it did not take long before he drifted off as well.

* * *

Ana heard a loud click and the sound of several scuffling feet. It felt way too early to be up and Christian was holding her so close. It felt so right that she refused to open her eyes. This is how life was meant to be: no Leila, no ex-subs of any kind.

It was the shouting that changed her mind and, apparently, Christian's mind, too. She felt him stiffen and withdraw from her quickly. She protested, opened her eyes and frowned.

Where the hell was she? The room didn't look familiar at all and the bed she was in was defiantly not hers. She looked at Christian, alarmed, only to realize that the man she was in bed with was actually Ethan. As he stood up, she saw that he was only dressed in boxers and an undershirt. Finally, it was coming back to her. The drinking, the karaoke, the nightmares… but where did his pants go?

She heard someone inhale sharply and looked over to see Christian standing in the doorway. Their eyes met and she watched the emotions pass in his stare. She saw relief, hurt and then anger. Serious anger.

"Christian, I'm sorry I didn't call…" Ana stood up too, only to discover that she was also dressed only in her bra, panties and undershirt. Christian looked like his eyes were going to pop out of his head. Taylor appeared unsure if he should leave or try to restrain Christian. Either way, he was defiantly not meeting her gaze. Sawyer had quickly retreated to some unknown location as soon as he saw that Ana was not hurt.

"Get. In. The. Car. Now," Christian gritted out behind clenched teeth. Ana glanced over at Ethan, who had the audacity to not even look frightened, but instead rather amused. Fuck, he did not know who he was dealing with.

"Christian, I…" Ana started, but Christian did not wait for an explanation. He stepped forward, grabbed her by her waist and threw her over his shoulder. "Christian, I can walk!" Ana struggled to get free, but realized that it was in vain.

Christian carried her down the flight of stairs and straight out into one of the two waiting cars. Ana was able to see the wreckage from the night before in the living room and was very thankful that the party had subsided for the most part. It was better to just have a few people gawking at her barely clothed form than a whole house full of them.

Christian set her gently on the backseat, despite the look of hostility in his eyes. He slammed the door shut before stepping over to speak with Taylor. Ana's mind raced with how she could explain not calling or coming home, but she was at a loss. She knew what this would do to him and yet she chose to do it anyway. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Christian grabbed a blanket from the trunk, opened the car door and threw it at her. "Take her home, Luke." he said to the man up front. Ana had not noticed his presence until now. Slowly, Sawyer merged into traffic and all Ana could do was watch Christian through the back window. Apparently, he and Taylor would be taking the other car.

Ana shifted in her seat as she wrapped the blanket around herself, savoring its warmth and contemplating her fate. "Um… Sawyer?" she tested the silence. Sawyer glanced at her through his rearview mirror.

"Yes, Ms. Steele?" he clipped. Ana gulped; even Sawyer sounded upset.

"Uh… is Christian coming home, too?"

"Mr. Grey will likely be home later, Ms. Steele. However, he has instructed me to remain with you, so you will not be lacking company."

Ana nodded, that sounded like Christian, but she doubted that Sawyer was intended to be merely company. "How bad was it for him last night?" she whispered.

Sawyer looked alarmed to be asked such a personal question, but sighed when he saw how distressed Ana was in the backseat. "He was not well, Ms. Steele. This was not something that he would enjoy occurring again."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Ana sat back and stared out the window as the rain began to fall.


	5. Chapter 5

Ana rode the elevator back to Escala with Sawyer in silence. It felt insanely awkward to stand next to him in just her underwear and a bulky blanket. Besides, neither one had very much to say and both needed a good night's sleep, although the sun was just coming up.

Mrs. Jones was busy in the kitchen, scrubbing the dishwasher when Ana walked in. "Oh, Ms. Steele!" she cried, standing and brushing her apron off. "I am so happy you are back. Mr. Grey was very… concerned. We all were." Mrs. Jones was kind enough to take her appearance in stride and did not even seem to be alarmed about her lack of clothing.

Ana felt a twinge of guilt at Mrs. Jones admission. _See,_ y_ou never do anything right. Christian was right to send you away with Sawyer. You'll be lucky if he will ever want to see you again._ Unable to hold back the tears anymore, Ana broke down. Sawyer sent an alarmed look at Mrs. Jones and hurried to excuse himself from the situation.

Mrs. Jones rushed to Ana and gave her a warm embrace. "There, there Ana," she cooed. "Everything will be alright. Here, let me make you some breakfast and you can eat after you've had a chance to clean up."

Working fast, Mrs. Jones flipped a few pancakes and fried bacon in no time flat. Ana knew that she should be preparing herself, but she remained frozen, completely unable to move. As much as she loved Mrs. Jones cooking, Ana couldn't bear the thought of stomaching even a few small bites. "I'm very sorry, but I don't think I can eat," Ana said quietly. Quickly she added "please don't tell Christian I don't want to eat."

Mrs. Jones nodded with compassion and removed the plate from the bar. Ana made her way to the large master bedroom alone, wanting only to take a shower and sleep the morning away like it had never happened.

After only a few minutes in the shower, Ana strained to hear what she thought were male voices coming from the living room. _Christian!_ She turned off the shower and hurried to shrug on her robe, hoping and praying that Christian was back and willing to forgive.

Ana made a big show of slipping and falling down a portion of the stairs in her haste. The noise alone was enough to wake the dead and alert Christian of her presence. She made it in the living room just in time to see Christian enter the elevator. Their eyes met, but he did not wait for her.

* * *

With Ana safely back in the car and headed for home, Christian knew that it was time to take care of some pressing business. "Stay here with the car, Jason," he snapped and headed back inside the frat house.

It did not take long to recover Ethan. The man was in the kitchen drinking a few shots of clear liquor. Christian gave him a disgusted look and Ethan just chuckled.

"Hair of the dog, my friend," he said with an exaggerated toasting gesture.

Christian was silent for several minutes, standing there clenching and unclenching his fists. Ethan finally became aware of the awkward silence and decided to fill the gap. "Look, Christian," he sighed. "I'm sorry that I kept your lady out too late. I'm sorry that she had a little too much to drink. And I think that she is _really_ sorry that she left her purse behind. But, hey, I kept her safe and I think that she is feeling a lot better about the whole ex-girlfriend thing."

Christian gasped. "What did she tell you about that?" Fuck, if Anastasia talked after a few shots there might be a whole lot of cleanup to do.

"What? About the girlfriend?" Ethan asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Nothing. I think that she was just a little jealous."

"Did you sleep with her?" Christian asked in a tone that was barely audible.

"Fuck, Grey! Is that what this is about? All the macho, tear down-the-house crap?" Ethan shook his head. "Of course not! I've known her forever, she's my sister's best friend, she's taken and I don't mess with drunk chicks. Yeah, that should just about cover it." He listed each one like he was checking them off of a list.

Ethan grinned after his assessment was complete, obviously unconcerned over Christian's intense glare. "Fine," Christian said as he turned to go. "But if I ever find out differently, you'll be sorry."

Walking out into the weather, Christian braced himself against the wind and the rain that had begun to fall. Cold Seattle mornings chilled to the bone like nothing else. As ordered, Jason was in the car, ready to take Christian wherever he needed to go. _At least there is one person I can still trust_. Christian opened the car door and shifted into his seat.

"Where to, sir?" Jason kept his gaze facing forward, unwilling to meet Christian's eyes. Apparently, he too, felt as though Ana's behavior was amiss.

"Just take me home, Jason," Christian croaked. "I need to change for work and maybe pick up a few things."

When Christian entered his home, he began to feel a sinking in his stomach. His mind had played tricks with him the entire way over, forcing him to relive the view of Ana snuggled up next to Ethan, scantily clad and all too willing.

When he got to the kitchen, Mrs. Jones offered him a small smile that did not reach her eyes. Christian did not even bother to return it. "Where is Ms. Steele?" he asked her.

Startled by the way he addressed Ana, Mrs. Jones responded slowly. "She is taking a shower, sir."

Christian felt relieved that they would not have to cross paths right away and moved quickly to collect his things. He grabbed his laptop and a few other necessities before changing and heading back for the elevator. He bid Mrs. Jones goodbye and called to Jason to follow him out. It was when he almost reached the doors that an awful thought hit him square in the gut. _She is showering after being with him!_

He felt the unshed tears in his eyes sting with the obviousness of her deceit. After taking a second to compose himself, he withdrew internally, showing no form of emotion at all. When he turned around in the elevator, he met Ana's eyes unexpectedly. Her hair was dripping wet, her robe was disheveled and her eyes shone with remorse. He knew that his own reflected nothing as he allowed the doors to shut between them.


	6. Chapter 6

Ana had never slept so horribly in all her life. Well, that could probably be said countless times over the past two weeks, since every night turned out to be worse than the one before it. Christian had not returned home after his hasty retreat on the morning of the incident.

_The incident? When did I start calling it that?_ Ana had had too much time alone, too much time to think over everything that went wrong because of her carelessness. Worse, she had time to think about what Christian was doing… and who he was doing it with. It sent shivers up her back every time she thought about her lack of knowledge regarding the fate of Leila. _Surely, Christian would not go back to her, not after what she tried to do. Right?_

Ana curled up under the covers once more and tried to push the thought out of her mind, but it persisted. Sawyer had not been able to give her any details, though he had offered to call Taylor and find out for her. Ana had shot down that plan immediately, not wanting to do anything else to rock the boat between her and Christian. Asking about the man's suicidal/homicidal/psychotic ex-submissive would defiantly rock the boat, big time.

She had tried to call Christian's phone a few times last week, but it was either dead or turned off. She had just wanted to make some small talk and hopefully get him to laugh. Ah, yes, Christian Grey's laugher was perhaps the most precious thing to her.

_Get yourself together, Steele! If you want to see him, go see him! Lord knows the man is probably living out of his office…_ Ana gulped. _Or with Mrs. Robinson…_

Ana shook the thought away and gave up on getting any more sleep. The master bed was just too lonely without Christian's body beside her. She could hear Mrs. Jones bustling around in the kitchen and felt a stab of empathy for the woman. Taylor had been gone just as many days as Christian had and it was likely that she was feeling the same loneliness as Ana.

Wanting to find some human comfort, Ana made her way into the kitchen. "Good morning, Ana" Mrs. Jones beamed. Since it had just been the two of them (or the three of them, including Sawyer) Mrs. Jones had lightened up on the formalities, as Ana had insisted.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jones," Ana felt herself smile. Actually, it was the first real smile that she had felt in the past 14 odd days. "Please, let me help you with something."

Together the women prepared breakfast and then sat down to enjoy a cup of tea. Wanting to broach the subject cautiously, Ana waited until there was a comfortable break in the conversation. "Do you think it would be alright if I sought Christian out? I just miss him so much. Or do you think it might make things worse?" _Like they could be any worse._

Mrs. Jones set down her teacup lightly and paused for a few moments before answering. "I think that you going to see him is the only way this is going to work out for the two of you," she said quietly. "I would have thought that he would be back before now. He may just need to know how much you care, Ana."

Mrs. Jones looked momentarily frazzled by her honest answer, but calmed down when she saw how happy it made the younger woman. "Yes!" Ana stood up suddenly. "Of course! All this time I have been waiting and waiting for him to get back, but this time maybe Fifty needs me to make the first move." Christian was worth waiting any amount of time, but she would not have to wait any longer.

Excited about seeing him, she ran upstairs to prepare herself. She would need to look smoking hot if she was going to talk Christian into coming home. Ana stepped out of her robe and began searching for the sexiest piece of lingerie she owned. Satisfied with the bra trimmed in red lace, she made quick work to position it over her breasts. _Whoa!_ Her breasts had become so sensitive since Christian had left. They craved his touch just as much as the rest of her. Changing bras had become a challenge for Ana since each time made her miss Christian all the more. She would lose herself, thinking about the kinky fuckery that he would instigate if he were back.

To complete her look she selected one of the slinky shirts with a gaping back that Christian had purchased for her, along with a pencil skirt and some black pumps. After applying a bit of makeup and curling her hair, she skipped out of the room to locate Sawyer and declare her intentions of reclaiming her boyfriend.

Ana frowned and thought for a moment. _Where did Sawyer go when he wasn't with her?_ Ana felt like a fool for never having considered this before. After a though search of the home, Ana determined that there was only one thing to do. She hit the elevator button and waited.

Like clockwork, Sawyer was by her side. Ana shook her head, amazed. He had emerged from a hallway she had just checked.

"Ms. Steele, can I help you with something?" Sawyer asked cautiously. It seemed to him that Ana was always getting in to some kind of mischief and taking care of her gave him a full-time job.

Ana smiled sweetly. "Yes, Sawyer. I want to see Mr. Grey. Please take me to him." Sawyer looked slightly uncomfortable and shifted his weight.

"May I ask why, Ms. Steele? If you have a concern I can always phone Taylor for you and it will be handled immediately. Mr. Grey wishes for you to remain here." Sawyer had added the last part so quietly that she had to strain to hear him.

Ana had a sinking feeling that Christian had ordered Sawyer to keep her here. She had not even been allowed to return to work yet, but this was the first time she had felt the need to press the issue. "Well, Sawyer, maybe I should remind you that I am not an animal to be caged. Christian Grey may have the world by the leash, but he does not have a collar on me!" Ana's voice had risen several octaves and Mrs. Jones had reappears to see if she was alright.

Sawyer's eyes widened at Ana's outburst, surprised that after a couple of weeks of compliance she was putting her foot down now. "Yes, ma'am. Mr. Grey did give me rather implicit instructions, however. I am to stay with you here or…" Sawyer paused. "I am to drive you to Ms. Kavanagh's residence and drop you off."

Ana stood in shock as Sawyer finished his sentence. "Mr. Grey has set up an account for you, should you choose to leave," Sawyer rushed to add, as if it did any good.

_How dare he?_ Ana felt her anger rising. "Well, Sawyer I suppose you should take me to Kate's house then. I would not want you to be in trouble with Mr. Grey and I need out of this fucking apartment!"

Not knowing what else to say, Sawyer nodded and pressed the elevator button once more to take them both down to the garage.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for the reviews, it makes writing fun =) I've had some requests for quick updates and longer stories, so here it goes. I hope you enjoy.**

Christian stood in front of his floor to ceiling window, looking over the vast expanse of the city. He was on a business trip again, this time in New York. Since he left Ana at Esclava, staying in town was simply not an option. It only took one night in a Seattle hotel before he was dying to drive back, to hold her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay, that they were going to be okay.

Christian grimaced. _But everything was not okay._ Ana had betrayed him in the worst way possible. She knew how much he treasured being her only lover, how much pleasure he found in knowing that he was the only one she would ever have. It was bad enough that she had defied him by staying out, but this… well, this was unacceptable.

He felt his pants tighten as he thought of her. Even after everything that had happened, she still had such control over him. Her giggling, her pouting lips, her flawless body. God, what he would do to trap those lips in his teeth right now…

"Sir," Jason stepped into the room hesitantly. "We should leave for your meeting or we will be late." Christian nodded his response, but waited for Jason to step out before moving. The past weeks had defiantly taken their toll; he had been keeping his cell phone off, worried that Ana or his family might try to call. He had nothing to say to any of them about what had happened. If it was an emergency, Jason's phone was always on and Christian knew he could depend on the man to weed out the unwanted calls from those he needed to take. So far, there had been several calls from his family and work, but none from Ana.

Jason was standing patiently in the living room when Christian finally emerged from his master suite. His home in New York might be smaller than Esclava, but it was just as pristine. Given the current situation, Christian knew that he would have felt overwhelmed if it was very much larger. After sharing a home with Ana everything else felt so empty.

Once in the car, Christian allowed his mind to drift back to that day. _Damn it, get yourself together! Ana is safe at home and you do not have to worry about facing her._ Christian knew that this was ultimately a lie; he would have to return to Esclava one day or risk losing Ana all together. He knew that even with what she had done he still wanted to be with her. He had been surprised that she was being so compliant with his demands. So far Sawyer had not one incident to report.

_She's only complying because she is guilty and doesn't want to make things worse._ Christian beat the thought away, but traces of it remained. _Why, Ana?_

Jason's phone vibrated and he answered with his headset. "Taylor," he murmured. As the call continued, his eyes got wider. He shot Christian an apprehensive look, but otherwise maintained his focus on the road. Christian stilled. Whatever had happened it was bad enough that Taylor had become very quiet.

"Fine. I'll let him know." Jason hung up and glanced at Christian once more. Unwilling to allow the tension to mount, Christian snapped. "What the hell is it, Taylor?"

"Ms. Steele has requested to return to Ms. Kavanagh's residence, Mr. Grey."

Christian closed his eyes slowly and brought his hand to his face. Honestly, he should have seen this coming. Anastasia was not a patient woman and her fierce spirit was what had attracted him in the first place. In this case, it brought out the truth in their relationship. The fact that she would leave him without so much as a phone call demonstrated that he had to let her go. It was what she wanted.

* * *

Christian arrived home a week later and he realised immediately that he had been away too long. He had missed countless appointments with Flynn and Mrs. Jones had been badgered by his family to divulge his whereabouts. First things first, Christian decided to stop by his parent's home.

Being that it was a Thursday afternoon, he did not know what to expect. Christian was not even sure if anyone would be home. This uncertainty proved to be unwarranted because after a short pause his mother opened the door.

Grace first looked surprised and pleased to see Christian, but then scowled at him, opening recalling the strain she had been under the past weeks. She had spent countless hours wondering if he was alright and that was not to be brushed aside lightly. "Christian, how nice of you to stop by." Grace opened the door wider and ushered him in. Christian could see his father in the kitchen and knew that Mia was likely to be around somewhere.

"Please sit down," Grace said, her voice straining. Christian obliged and the two of them were soon joined by his father.

Carrick cleared his throat and broke the silence. "We have all been very concerned about you and I'm not going to pretend otherwise." He paused, waiting for a response, but after receiving none, he continued. "I don't know what is going on with you and Ana, but Elliot and Kate are very concerned about her. I find it hard to believe that you would leave her high and dry, but the evidence against you is not very appealing."

Christian frowned. He had instructed Sawyer to give Ana her car, access to a hefty bank account and anything else she would need if she decided to leave. Something was not making sense. "Why would you say that she is high and dry?" he asked.

His parents exchanged glances before his mother responded. "Christian, Ana has gone back to work and is trying hard to get a place of her own, but surely you can understand how hard it would be to start over by yourself, with nothing in the way of assets. She is staying with Kate and Ethan, while he is in town."

Christian felt himself tense all over. _The fucker is in Kate's house? _Damn, he should have thought about that before having Sawyer send her there. Christian ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep sigh. It was worse than he had imagined. Not only had she spurred his attempts to make her comfortable, but she had also returned to work for that bastard Hyde. He had made sure that her job would still be available when she returned, had even told the accounting department to pay her for the time she had missed, but he had thought Sawyer would accompany her when the time came for her to go back.

Christian knew that he was to blame for Anastasia running. His refusal to communicate is what had ended the relationship, even if she had cheated that night. With Ana he would take her as he could get her, whether that be faithful and obedient or not. Not that unfaithfulness was something that he was willing to tolerate, but Christian was beginning to feel like her could forgive Ana for her one lapse of judgement.

Mia broke the extended silence when she entered the room. "Christian!" she pouted. "I know you are the reason Ana is a wreck and I think you are awful. Kate and Elliot think so, too."

"I think so, too, Mia," Christian muttered. Everyone in the room looked shocked at his admission, expecting more of an argument. "I have to go, but I'll keep in touch," he promised, looking at Grace in particular.

Mia broke into a smile. "Go get her, Champ!"

* * *

Ana walked past several used cars to where Kate and Ethan stood, staring at her expectantly. They had scoured every inch of the lot, had test driven several models and were obviously hoping that she had come to a decision.

For once, Ana was thankful that her ex-boyfriend was the owner of her company because it meant that she was paid for the time she had spent trapped in Esclava. Ana was positive that she would have lost any other job during her extended absence. She had decided as soon as the check had cleared that she would use the money as a down payment on a car. This would be her first step toward independence.

The problem was that she had gotten too spoiled with Christian. Six months ago she would have jumped on any of these cars, but now all she could hear was Christian complaining about safety ratings.

Kate raised an eyebrow at her, asking the unspoken question. "I think that I'll take that one," Ana said, pointing to the green Hyundai Santa Fe. It was kind of cute in a sporty way and it still had a warranty.

Kate laughed. "I knew you would take that one, Steele! Ethan had his money on the Honda, but no way does he know you like I do." Ana blushed at her words. Kate was still completely unaware of what had happened the night Ethan took her out and Ana intended to keep it that way. As far as Kate was concerned, Ana had left Christian because of the Leila ordeal, which truthfully was part of it.

Ethan smirked at Kate's words and held his hands up. "I give. You called it. Now let's sign some papers and get out of here." He winked at Ana and she felt better about her secret from Kate. Ethan was going to take what happened to the grave and had even decided to stay in town longer because of Ana's breakup. Yep, she had some good friends.

_Friends aren't boyfriends,_ she thought before she could stop herself. True, no one made her feel like Christian. Even now, as hurt and angry as she was, her body ached for his touch. And it was more than that; Christian had made her feel loved and special. With him, she had felt beautiful.

Kate looped her arm inside Ana's and led her to the office so they could fill out the paperwork for her "new" car. Thankfully, her good credit score and job were enough to convince the credit union to give her the sizable loan.

That night Kate and Ethan went out on the town with Elliot. Seeing Elliot was enough to make her already emotional state much worse. He had pulled her into a big hug and apologized for whatever crap Christian was putting her through, which had to score him some brownie points with Kate. After promising that she would be fine on her own, she locked the door behind them and burst into tears.

_Damn it, Christian! What the fuck have you done to me? _She leaned against the wall and slid all the way to the floor. She felt so out of control lately, so emotional. Were all breakups this bad? It had been a week since Sawyer had drop her off and she had not heard one word from Christian. _So much for his undying love!_

Ana collected herself off of the floor and went to the fridge to open a bottle of wine. She had lost a considerable amount of weight while she mourned for her lost Fifty. Her clothes were practically falling off of her, but she didn't care.

The wine hardly tasted of anything and she had to throw half of it down the drain. Tomorrow was Thursday, a work day, so Ana decided to head to bed early. Hopefully tonight would be the first night Christian Grey wouldn't haunt her dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

Ana's morning at work was turning out to be a disaster. Jack seemed to be in an even more awkward mood than usual. She shuttered to think about the looks he had been giving her and the way his hand had traveled to the small of her back when he had given her a "welcome back hug" the first morning she had returned to the office.

She had to smile when she thought about the big scene she made earlier, though. He had made a big deal about her getting him a cup of coffee and then he startled her so badly when she got back to his office that she spilled all of its contents into his lap. It had been almost comical to see him try to control his anger as he worked to clean up the mess. At least that situation had him returning home to get a change of clothes and Ana doubted that he would be back until tomorrow.

Thankfully, her workload had lightened a bit and she had been able to catch up on the assignments she had missed and then some. By now Jack would have normally given her more work to do, but with him gone she was at a loss. She had been twiddling her thumbs for the past half hour, unsure of how she should occupy her remaining time. If only she had some kind of distraction… _like sexy emails from a certain irresistible CEO…_

Ana shook her head to release the thought. _Oh, Fifty, as if you still cared. _She glanced at the clock on her computer and realized that it was almost noon. Finally she could get out of the office, not that she was very hungry for lunch.

Her insides clenched at the very thought of eating, sure that doing so would make her physically ill. Once more, she put her hand to her forehead and sensed that she was feverish. All morning Ana had been cold one moment and hot the next. She had considered calling in to work sick today, but doubted very much that Jack would have approved. Ana had only been back to work for a week and was determined to suck it up and push through.

She smiled to herself as she thought of all of the ways she had asserted her independence over the last few days. She was back in her own apartment, in her own bed, wearing her own clothes, and driving her own car. She had even opened her own wireless account and now had a blackberry that she, Ana Steele, had paid for. Christian might have been expecting her to mope around his apartment like a lost puppy until he decided to grace her with his presence, but that was just not Anastasia Steele's style. At least, that was what she was telling herself.

Ana grabbed her purse and made her way to the front entrance to take her lunch. The cold air on her face as she stepped outside made her feel a lot better. She had been getting too warm in the office and a walk to the deli for a cup of tea seemed to be a good distraction from her wandering thoughts. Without having to worry about security and Mr. Crazy-Ass-Christian, the walk over was all the more sweet.

The deli had an odd charm about it, similar to many of the shops in Seattle. It may not be what a health inspector would deem "clean," but it served her purposes well enough. The lighting was slightly dim and the upholstered chairs made for a good place to get lost in a book.

Anastasia had to make a wobbly smile at the thought of reading books again. She had left the ipad Christian had bought her at Escala, so it was back to musty old pages for her. It felt… clarifying. Yes, this was the real Ana. _But then why do I feel so unhappy?_

* * *

_Finally!_ It was the end of the workday and Ana was ready to go home. Meaningless tasks at work were more draining than physical labor, if you asked her. She had spent the remainder of the day filing and making copies. And scrubbing the coffee stains out of the carpet in Jack's office.

She was about to reach her car when her phone vibrated. There was a text from Kate, asking if she wanted to go out tonight. Ana bit her lip as she thought it over. She really wasn't ready to go drinking; it seemed like that always got her into trouble. _With who? He's not here anymore…_ Ana gritted her teeth at the thought. Just because she was single didn't mean that she had to go making bad decisions. And if she was honest with herself, she was still broken. Alcohol was not going to fix that.

She quickly texted Kate back, declining the offer. After buckling her seatbelt and starting the engine, something caught her eye through the passenger's side window. _Christian?_

Yes, there he stood, in all his glory, about 20 feet from her car. Expression unreadable, body completely still. Ana felt something pull inside. She still loved this man, this fifty shades of fucked up man.

Not sure what else to do she waved slightly and he smiled a little. She sucked in a breath and tried to clear her senses. This was the same man who had abandoned her over one night of drinking. He was the same man who wanted to control every aspect of her life. The same man who had probably been fucking Leila senseless for the past weeks. Not wanting to succumb to his charm and good looks, she stepped on the gas and did a burn out, effectively launching the vehicle from the parking space. If she had bothered to look in her review mirror she would have seen Christian Grey, CEO, with his mouth agape.

* * *

There was a lot more to Ana than what met the eye. Christian could not do prevent his jaw from dropping to the floor as she peeled out of the lot and entered traffic. _Where the hell did she learn to drive like that?_ He had thought that everything was going to be okay when she gave him the small wave, but then in an instant her expression had changed. What he would give to put her over his knee for evading him like that, not to mention putting herself in danger by driving so erratically.

After meeting with his parents he had guessed that Ana would not be driving the Audi, but he had not realized that she had bought a car for herself. He should have Taylor check for any other surprises that Ana may have concocted when he was away. _What did all this mean? Was she gone for good?_ Christian knew that the only way he was going to get answers was if he followed her back to Kate's house. God, he hoped that Kate was out of town again. Dealing with both of them was going to be too much.

Christian stopped mid-stride on the way back to his car. _What if that fucker Ethan was still there?_ His parents had defiantly been under the impression that he was. Well, if it came to it Christian was willing to fight for the woman he loved, even if it meant decking her best friend's brother. Christian chuckled darkly. If Ethan had slept with Ana, it would even be his pleasure to do it.

It took no time at all to get to Kate's house, but he was not surprised that Ana had managed to beat him there. The woman drove like a maniac when she was in a hurry. His Anastasia defiantly had spunk, that much was certain.

Christian took a deep breath before knocking on the door, bracing himself for who might answer. To his relief, it was Ana. "Anastasia," he said, loving how her name rolled off of his tongue. "May I come in?" She had obviously lost some weight and looked rather ill, although that might have been due to his behavior, he grudgingly admitted to himself.

Ana's eyes grew wide at the sight of him, almost as though she hadn't expected him to follow her. He watched as she built up her strength from within and pouted her lip out. "No," she responded. And with that she slammed the door in his face.


	9. Chapter 9

Once again Christian was utterly speechless. _How did I ever mistake this woman for being a submissive? She can't even grant me a simple request, much less follow an instruction._ "Ana! Open up! Please baby, I need to talk to you!" Christian heard some rustling on the other side of the door. Taking this as encouragement that she could hear him, he pounded the door with his fist, making a knock loud enough to wake the dead and, hopefully, get Ana's attention.

The banging did the trick. Ana slowly reopened the door and peered out at him. "What do you want, Mr. Grey? Your car has been towed, if that is what has brought you here."

"You think I am here for the fucking car?" Christian asked in disbelief. "Ana, _your_ car is registered in _your_ name. If it has been towed they are not going to call me about it. Is that why you are driving around in that mom-mobile?"

Ana faltered a little bit at this news. "I had it towed," she whispered. "And that mom-mobile is owned by me now, so don't worry yourself about it. If you are not here about the car, I don't know what you want. I haven't touched that account you set up and you can go get _your _car from the towing company and give it to Leila or whoever the hell you want, because I am done!"

On the verge of tears, Ana tried to close the door again. This time Christian was expecting her reaction and prevented her from slamming it shut. His mind was racing as he processed her rant. "Why the fuck would I give it to Leila. You saw her; she is in no condition to drive. She is in some hospital a thousand miles away. What the hell is going on, Ana?"

The impact of this news took Ana by surprise. Christian saw his opening and slid into the apartment before she had a chance to object. "Ana, after that night I have been away on business. I couldn't stand to face you after what happened. I know I should have come back earlier, but I wasn't… I didn't trust myself not to lose it. I think I can forgive and move on, though. That is, if you'll still have me."

"You left me for _two weeks _because of one stupid night! Make that three weeks, including this last one, and you think that you can just waltz back into my life and take over?" Ana screamed, unwilling to relent. "Well, you have another thing coming, Mr. Grey!"

Christian was not sure how to respond. True, one night had been all that it had taken to push him over the edge, but surely Ana knew that her infidelity would cause a rift between them. "Well, Ana, your… indiscretion… it was not something I thought would ever happen. Since you how I feel about us, I thought you would have had more control over yourself."

He could not bear to call her one-night stand what it was and he prayed that she wouldn't make him utter those words explicitly. It would be even worse to hear her say it, though. " But I am more than willing to forgive and move on if you will still take me," he repeated quickly, hoping that she would see how much he was trying to make this work.

* * *

After listening to Christian, Ana was very hesitant. Obviously the man was admitting that he had wronged her and wanted to start over, but she was not so sure that she could trust him anymore. He had basically shown her the door after one night of drinking. And that night of drinking had occurred because Christian had been getting cozy with Leila.

_No! Christian said that Leila was taken away. He doesn't want her after all…_ "What happened after I left you and went out with Ethan that night? What did you do with Leila?" she asked quietly. This was still something she had to know if they were even going to consider reconciling.

Christian gave her a perplexed look. "Nothing," he said. "She was a wreck and I felt so awful. I mean, she was that way because of me, because of how fucked up I was with her. So I tried to calm her down until we could take her to a hospital. I gave her a bath and it seemed to help a little."

Ana was almost stunned. "You gave your ex-submissive a bath in my house? What, did you have her try on my clothes, too? Did you use my brush to fix her hair?" Ana's voice was getting louder by the minute, but she was far from being finished. "Did you fuck her in my bed, Christian? It seemed like she would be pretty willing when I had been forced to leave."

There was electric energy in the room; it was like Christian could taste Ana's anger in the air. "Ana, baby," he began quietly.

"Don't 'baby' me, Christian! You have fucked this up so much I don't even know what to do. Can you not see how sick this is? You with all of your ex-subs… you have no idea how hard it is for me to see you with one of them."

"What do you want me to do, Ana?" Christian asked in a quiet voice. "They exist and some of them are really fucked up in the mind. I don't want them. I want you! Why can't you see that?"

Christian removed the distance between them, so they were less than an arm's length apart. "If I wanted to fuck with random subs don't you think they have a market for that in New York? Or how about in L.A.? I have been traveling a lot over the past weeks, but all I wanted to do was to be with you."

"Ana, I am ready to forgive and move on, but you need to be willing to let go, too, if this is going to work," Christian held his breath, waiting for her response.

It was like someone had taken the wind out of her sails. Ana felt utterly deflated by the argument. Adding this stress her already less-than-healthy state was not working out well. "Christian, I am just going to need some time to think about this. I know that you are used to just saying the word and getting your way but that is not how it works with me." Ana felt herself leaning away from his body as she spoke, much to the disgust of her inner goddess. _Lord, he is sex on legs._

She took a deep breath and continued. "I don't know if you have noticed, or if you even care, but I am sick and I might not even come in to work tomorrow. I need rest…and space."

Christian nodded slowly. "I did notice, Anastasia. And believe me, I do care. I want to take care of you more than I want anything else. I'll be in touch, but get your rest. It is very important that you are well." With that he kissed her on her forehead and walked out of the still-open front door. "Laters, baby."


	10. Chapter 10

The sun came peeking through Ana's window way too early. She moved a little under the covers and moaned. She had called the office at around 5 that morning when it had become clear that she would not be making it to work. Ana knew that the voicemail she had left for Jack had sounded pathetic and weak, so she hoped he wouldn't give her any flack about it. Then again, it was always kind of suspicious to call in sick on a Friday.

_Yeah, crazy-fun weekend here I come._ She had not been able to keep anything down all night and even now running to the bathroom felt like a good option. She heard her phone vibrate and fished around for it without opening her eyes.

Pulling it into her cave of covers and sheets, she realized that it was an email. Moreover, it was an email from Christian Grey. _Why am I surprised that he has my new number? The man is a stalker freak._ Curiosity got the better of her and she opened it.

* * *

**From: **Christian Grey

**Subject: **Your health

**Date: **August 1, 2011

**To: **Anastasia Steele

is very important to me. Please let me know what I can do make you more comfortable. Of course, please note that going to work will not be necessary until you feel better. If you would allow me to, I would like to stop by and give you back your iPad and some of Mrs. Jones's homemade chicken soup. She made a batch for you when she learned that you were sick.

Christian Grey

Helpful CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

* * *

**From:** Anastasia Steele

**Subject:** My health

**Date:** August 1, 2011

**To:** Christian Grey

is my own concern. I am a grown woman, Mr. Grey, and I would thank you to remember that. Also, thank you for reminding me of my rights as an employee at your company. I have already called in sick, so your guidance is unnecessary. I have determined that I no longer need an iPad; old fashioned reading for an old fashioned girl, Mr. Grey. The chicken soup sounds divine, but I worry that if I allow you to come over you will think that I am ready to take you back and I am not. You were so mad at me for that night I went out with Ethan. To me, what I did was bad, but not _that bad_. I am sure that I would make you much angrier in the future and I don't think that I could handle another 3+ weeks of abandonment.

Ana Steele

* * *

**From:** Christian Grey

**Subject:** Your fears

**Date:** August 1, 2011

**To:** Anastasia Steele

do not have any grounds. First, no living human being _needs _an iPad, but I thought you might be in the mood to read a good story. Second, the chicken soup will be delivered in about an hour with no strings attached, other than the ones that I cannot prevent. Ana, I love you and that will not change. Third, as long as you don't betray me in that way again, you will never have to handle 3+ weeks of abandonment.

Does that sound fair?

Christian Grey

CEO and Caregiver, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

* * *

Ana leaned back in bed, contemplating Christian's last message. Why was drinking such a big deal to him? Did it make him think of when she had drunk dialed him in Vancouver? Did he think that she wouldn't be able to fight off the advances from the guys at the party?

God, he made it sound like she had cheated or something. No, that didn't make sense because Ethan had been there to look out for her. Oh well… maybe she could give up going out alone for drinks with male friends if he could give up bathing his former submissives. Now _that_ sounded fair.

* * *

**From:** Anastasia Steele

**Subject:** Fair?

**Date:** August 1, 2011

**To:** Christian Grey

Bring your soup and your negotiating skills. We may be able to work something out, but this time the contract will be on _my _terms.

Ana

* * *

Christian was thankful that he had decided to work from home that morning. After making a few calls and grabbing Mrs. Jones's jar of soup, he was out the door and ready to reclaim Ana. Not that he would ever be happy to see her sick, but maybe the fever had taken some of the fight out of her. _Not likely._ He smiled as he thought of her last email.

No matter what had happened with that fucker Ethan, Christian wanted Ana enough to fight for her. She was what he needed, not some answers about a drunken one night stand. Three weeks in purgatory had made that clear enough for him. Besides, they were on rocky territory anyway; if he asked her about it, she might run.

He reached her door several minutes before the one hour deadline he had set for himself. With the iPad under his right arm and the soup in his left hand he felt like a high school kid picking up his date for the prom. _Maybe this is what it would have been like to date Ana when she was in high school._

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened a crack. _God, how could someone look so horrible and so beautiful at the same time? _Christian must have let his facial expressions betray his opinion because Ana smiled ruthfully. "I know. I look like crap," she opened the door and gestured vaguely to the living room. "Have a seat, Mr. Grey."

"Christian," he corrected under his breath. Funny how not too long ago he had been requiring her to address him in exactly the opposite manner.

She smiled at his informality. "Christian. Yes, I think I like that. You can call me Ana." She batted her eyelashes at him and suddenly it was all over. Christian placed the soup and the computer on the coffee table and then pushed her up against the wall. Taking her chin in his hand, he kissed her deeply. "God, I've missed you," he breathed.

"Christian, I-" Ana stopped mid sentence and pushed him off of her. She made a beeline for the bathroom and Christian could hear her wrenching.

He winced, wondering if he had made it worse for her by kissing her so thoroughly. He walked down the hallway to see if he could hold her hair or rub her back until she finished.

By the time he was in the room, she was sitting on the fuzzy bath mat, shivering. Christian groaned; it was worse than he had thought. "Come on, baby. Let's get you to bed."

Christian scooped her up in one quick motion. He frowned when he felt how light she had become. "Going to bed? I'm not that easy to get, Christian," she muttered, half asleep already.

Christian did not respond because of the lump in his throat. He was not ready to joke about Ana being promiscuous. She had made the jab in fun but all he could think about her and Ethan in bed and the shower she had taken as soon as she had returned home.


	11. Chapter 11

Ana woke up snuggled next to Christian. His arm was cradling the upper half of her body, like she was in danger of breaking at any moment. She scooted up towards where her pillow was to get a better look at him. _God, he is so breathtaking._ He was such a beautiful man with so many secrets. Ana's mind drifted off, imagining what his darkest secrets could be. It would have to be something really out there for him to think she would leave over it…

Christian must have sensed her stare because he began to stir. "Baby? How are you feeling?" Christian wrapped his other arm around her and kissed her hair. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ana tickled beneath his arms. Christian immediately dropped his arms to his side and scowled.

"Seems like someone is a little ticklish," Ana giggled as she tried to scoot away. Of course, it did no good. Christian was on top of her quickly and he smirked as she tried to struggle.

"Feeling better are we, Ms. Steele?" he grinned at her feisty wake-up call. "It seems like someone is going to end up playing hooky today."

_Oh no! _Ana struggled to see her clock. _Maybe there was still time to get some work done…_ Christian easily read her mind. "Ana, I was joking. You were a hot mess this morning, so you should probably take it easy for the rest of the day anyway."

Ana batted her eyelashes. "Well if I have to take it _easy_ that means that you have to go _easy_ on me and completely agree to all of my _easy_ demands for resuming this relationship."

Christian had to grin at her playful behavior. _Where was this coming from?_ "Baby, you'll get me to agree to anything if it means I can get you back."

Flushed by his admission, Ana sat up straight on the bed and composed herself as best she could. "It has come to my attention, Christian, that you have recently decided to start washing your ex-subs in my bathtub." Christian looked ready to protest, but Ana held up her hand to stop him. "Let me finish. I want to be clear that for as long as I am your girlfriend there will be no bathing subs in my tub or in any tub. And I do not want you talking to that bitch-troll Elena about me."

Christian looked surprised at the last part. "Oh… you did that too, huh?" Ana asked, in a much less authoritative voice. Christian just shrugged his shoulder slightly, which clearly indicated that he was as guilty as sin. Ana was on a roll, though, and more than anything, she did not want to fight anymore.

"Fine. From this point on, no more Bitch-Troll and no more sub washing, got it Fifty?" Christian nodded slowly. Ana felt immensely pleased with herself, until Christian spoke up.

"I still need to contact her about business, Ana."

"Well, fine," Ana snapped. "But I am not her business, so it better not have anything to do with me." Christian looked relieved and agreed to the conditions. "Also, Christian, I am a grown woman. I can make my own decisions and I will be utilizing this right from now on, starting with what car I drive, what technology I do or do not own and where I live. Understand?"

Christian nodded slowly, watching her closely as he spoke. "I can't promise that I will be hands off in any decision that involves you, but you are not my sub, Anastasia. As long as it doesn't have to do with your safety, I think I can defer to your better judgment. Please remember, though, that this is new for me. You can't just run every time I cross some invisible, arbitrary line."

Ana furrowed her brow. "Do you think I would be talking with you if I _wanted _to run? I love you Christian." It was true and she meant every word. Her admission made Christian smile and she buried her face in his chest again.

"Oh, and one more thing," she added, looking up, eyeing Christian carefully. "I exchange for your, um… willingness to give me what I am asking for… I am willing to agree not to go drinking with any male friends alone from now on."

She might as well have told Christian that Christmas was coming early. He gave her a 100 watt smile and kissed the inside of her wrist. "Well, now that that is over, what do you say we sign on the dotted line?"

He pulled her down, so that he was covering her completely with his body and made a trail of small, sensual kisses along her jaw line. Ana was getting lost in the moment until she heard the banging around in the kitchen. "Oh!" she squealed. "Ethan is back early. Come on, Christian, we can't do this now. Imagine how awkward it would be if he could hear us. I mean, this apartment is really small…"

Christian's face made an undistinguishable transformation before her eyes. Gone was the playful man and in his place was a predator. Trying to laugh it off, Ana pushed against him until she was sitting up again. "Geez, someone is sex starved," she gave a playful nudge. "Although if you weren't I might have to question your activities when you were gone on business, Mr. Grey."

Ana stood up quickly and stretched. _How was it possible to feel this good, this fast after puking her guts out? _She sent a flirty look at Christian. "If you can't catch me, maybe I'll end up going to work after all." With that, she look off down the hall and out of sight.

Christian must not have been expecting that because there was a slight delay before she heard his footsteps behind her. Panicking that he may catch her before she made it to the kitchen, she sped up her pace. Ana glanced over her shoulder to see him a few feet behind just in time to collide into Ethan, making both of them fall to the floor.

"What the fuck are you doing, Ana?" Ethan was laughing, despite the fact that the sandwich he had been eating was now strewn about the room. The two of them had become closer friends over the past few days, what with Kate so busy with work and Elliot. Ethan's good humor had been what had helped her make it through the breakup.

Ana's laughter raked though her body. _God, it felt so good to laugh!_ So _liberating_. Ethan helped her to her just as Christian showed up by her side. Ana frowned at Christian's expression, but giggled as she came to terms with the frustration he must be feeling. "Christian, no one is hurt, so wipe that frown off your face. Ethan has had to endure more traumatizing behavior from me than that while you were gone."

"She is one piece of work. I might be sending you my medical bills, Grey, since it seems like you two are back together." Ethan nudged her playfully. Ethan's careless jabs seemed to fuel Christian's fire. He looked ready to take Ethan to the floor, so Ana stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Come on, boyfriend. You owe me a romantic weekend," Ana smiled bashfully at him. Christian blinked as his gaze shifted to her. She could physically see him shifting gears from warrior to lover. _Do your worst sex god!_

Christian narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you sure you are feeling up to it? This side of five hours ago I was peeling you off of the bathroom floor."

Ana grinned at his worried tone. "I feel divine, Mr. Grey. Silly man, always living in the past."

Christian glanced over at Ethan, who appeared to be searching for the television remote. "You have no idea, baby."


	12. Chapter 12

Christian felt himself breathing easier the minute they left the apartment. Every ounce of his being wanted to make Ethan taste blood, but he knew that if he lashed out now he might lose Ana forever. He felt as though he was accessing every ounce of self-control that he had learned from Elena. _How the hell did I even allow this to happen?_

It had helped that Ana was in such a good mood. It was hard to stay angry with her when she was so excited to be around him. He had been worried about taking her out so soon after her vomiting episode this morning, but had given up trying to talk her into staying inside. She was flitting around with such energy and the smile on her face was breathtaking.

_Besides, I don't have to be around that fucker if we stay away from Kate's apartment._ Idly, he began to wonder how long he would have to wait to bring her back to Ecala. Ana had made it clear that she would be choosing where she wanted to live, but hell would freeze over before he left her alone with Ethan again.

They had almost reached his car when Ana stopped short. Confused, Christian turned to find her grinning at him and holding up a set of keys. "What are those?" He almost didn't want to know the answer.

Ana tilted her head. "I think I would like to drive today, Mr. Grey. Besides, I need to show you my new car."

Christian felt confused. _Why the fuck would she still want to drive that piece of crap?_ "Ana, I can have your car back here in an hour. You don't have to drive the mom-mobile anymore."

She scowled at him. "Christian, I itemized to you in our agreement that I will be choosing the vehicle that I am going to drive. I am choosing to drive a car that I can afford and that is not going to change, end of discussion."

He ran his fingers through his hair. True, he had agreed to those terms, but he had assumed that she had just wanted something different from the Audi. "Fine, Ana," he snapped. "Let's go look at your family van, but if I don't think that thing is safe I am putting my foot down. Don't forget that my right to have a say in all safety matters has also itemized." Ana scowled, obviously having forgotten the loophole he had reserved for himself. _Just wait until you see how many things relate to your safety, Ms. Steele_.

Christian gave her a wicked grin and indicated for her to lead the way. When they reached the vehicle, he could not help but cringe. The thing was a tacky shade of green and the seats were covered in a fuzzy cloth material; there was not one strip of leather in sight. _Why in god's name did she buy this thing?_

"Does it even have air bags?" he muttered to himself more than to her. Obviously, Ana heard him as well because his smart remark earned him a glare. Christian gave her an innocent look, not wanting the good mood to end so quickly.

"Yes, and it is not a van and you know it." She rolled her eyes and started the engine. The hunk of junk defiantly did not purr awake like the cars he loved. "Where do you want to go today, Ana?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

This question earned him a smile. He couldn't help himself. He leaned forward and put his hand behind her head, angling it toward him "You're so beautiful, Anastasia. You know what I want to do every time you roll your eyes at me."

With that, he captured her mouth. He intruded every inch of it, reclaiming it as his. "Ana, you are mine," he breathed. "Only mine, from now on."

Ana nodded, her eyes wide and full of passion. "Let me take you back to Escala," he whispered. "We can't stay here and I want you so badly."

Ana stiffened and withdrew from him. "I will not be returning to your apartment, Christian. This was another itemized condition, if you care to remember. I want to live on my own and pay my own rent."

Christian remained silent for a few minutes. He knew that he should not have pressed the issue so soon. Besides, he'd be having her in the car soon enough if she was going to be this sexy and unreasonable.

"Where do you want to go, Ana?" Obviously, arguing was not going to get him anywhere.

She visibly relaxed when it was clear that she had won the battle. _You won't be winning the war, though, little Ana._ "I think that I would like to go to Pike Market and then walk along the water front."

His lips twitched as he thought about her request. The woman had some of the best ideas, he had to give her that. "Sounds good. When we're there you can get something to eat. I know you haven't had very much if last night was anything like this morning."

Ana gave him a sheepish look, confirming his suspicions. Slowly, they merged into the traffic. After a few moments of being jostled by the subpar suspension, Christian knew that next time he would insist on driving. This car was going to force him into a chiropractor's office by the end of the day.

They were able to find parking relatively quickly given the fact that it was a Friday afternoon. The air was cool and crisp, and it smelt of the sea and coffee beans. One of the perks of living in Seattle was the constant mixture of the two aromas.

Ana hopped out of the driver's seat and took a good look at her car. She had fallen in love with it because of the newfound independence it had given to her. Plus, it didn't hurt that she actually got to drive a car that was a pretty color, not some boring shade of grey. She giggled a little when she thought about how Christian had moaned and groaned the entire way over, constantly shifting around to get comfortable.

He was looking at her from across the car with one eyebrow raised, silently asking her what she was thinking about. That was all the encouragement that she needed. Ana ran around to the other side, jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. He stumbled a little under her unexpected assault, but grinned like a fool when he regained his balance. Ana brought her face close to his, until their noses touched.

"Mr. Grey, you have just proven your love for me once again. I know you hate that car, but thanks for letting me drive." Ana watched as his eyes widened, understanding for perhaps the first time how much she valued him being flexible with her. _Stupid man. What woman wants to be told what to do? No wonder I'm his first girlfriend-_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a snickering noise behind her back. Christian's brow furrowed as he looked past her to see where the noise was coming from. She watched as his gaze darkened. Ana slid down his body and turned to see Jack Hyde. He was eyeing her with amusement and had a wicked grin spreading across his face.


	13. Chapter 13

**One of the reviews I received requested another two chapters posted back to back and I was more than happy to oblige. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is special to me because I am from Seattle. All of the information about Pike Place market is accurate =)**

* * *

_Fuck! I knew I should have gone to work earlier!_ Ana had broken into a sweat, trying to think of an excuse as to why she was well enough to be out with Christian, but unable to come in to the office. She knew that her cheeks were bright red, giving her the instant appearance of guilt.

_What time was it? Why was he even here?_ Ana glanced at her watch only to realize that it was almost a little past noon. Ana groaned inwardly at how close to the market her job was; Jack had obviously gone there for lunch.

Christian stepped toward Hyde, effectively towering over the smaller man. "I told her to call in today, Mr. Hyde. I felt that she was too sick to go to work, but as you can see she is feeling much better now. If everything goes smoothly you should expect her to return on Monday."

No way was Jack letting her off the hook that easily. "I just wanted to remind Ana of all of the work I need her to do. As good as the outdoors are for a…cold… sometimes work is an even better remedy," he leered at her direction. "I think that we can keep her nice and comfortable at the office."

Christian looked ready to pounce. Ana stepped in between them, hoping that their fun day wouldn't be ruined by the unfortunate encounter. "Thank you, Jack. I will see you on Monday."

She took Christian's hand and led him around her boss, taking care not to let him shake her grip loose. When Ana reached the sidewalk leading to the market she turned around to see if Jack had followed them, but he was gone.

She let out a sigh of relief and felt Christian breathe easier, too. She doubted that his anxiety was for the same reason as hers (had he ever worried about losing his job?), but it didn't matter. She gave him a bashful smile and saw the corners of his mouth twitch in response.

He leaned closer to her and she could feel his breath on her neck. "I am sending Sawyer to work with you from now on," he whispered. "That asshole is dangerous, Ana, and I won't have you in danger."

"No, I suppose you won't. Sawyer can follow me to work if you want, but I am driving myself," she negotiated. Christian narrowed his eyes at her, obviously thinking she was splitting hairs over how much independence she required. "Deal with it, Grey," she muttered in response.

* * *

Christian had been to the market a few times in his life, but this was by far his best experience at Pike Place. Ana had insisted that they watch the fish throwers. The all-male team took turns receiving orders from the customers and yelling them to the crew in the back, who would respond by tossing the specified fish in the air.

It really did take some skill to coordinate the act between so many individuals and Ana was captivated by the process. One of the men had noticed her watching and had bid her to come closer. She had nearly reached the edge of their display when a giant, ugly fish popped out, sending her back into his arms.

The fishermen all laughed at her reaction. The fake fish was apparently a trick used to fool tourists and small children. Well, tourists, small children and his Ana, gullible as she was. He loved the feeling of her being in his arms and the sound of her surprised laughter was music to his ears.

They spent about an hour walking around, looking at all of the stands. Each vender had something different and colorful to offer. Christian had snuck away at one point when Ana was ordering for a fruit crepe and had returned with a stunning bouquet of flowers. Being in the market with her made him feel so… normal, like they were just two regular young people in love.

After they had covered the market by foot, he led her down to the boardwalk overlooking the seafront. Yes, this was perfect bliss, except that there was something weighting on his mind. "Ana?" he whispered in her ear.

She responded, by looking up at him, her eyes full of love and happiness. He struggled to put into words what he was thinking. "I never want to be without you again. That pain was too much for me. I need to know you'll stay, no matter what."

Ana let out a deep breath. "I feel the same way, Christian. I still feel like you were the first one to leave. You got mad… and my punishment was your abandonment."

Christian had not thought of his escape as actually leaving until now. He pondered the issue for a moment before responding. "I wasn't leaving permanently, though, Ana. Otherwise I would have asked you to leave Esclava. Surely, you can see that."

"I guess I can," she admitted. "At the time it seemed like you were being passive-aggressive, you know? Showing me the door through your absence. When Sawyer told me I had two options, to stay at your place or go, I took that as meaning you were waiting for me to leave."

Christian frowned. If Sawyer had put it like that, he could defiantly see how Ana had come to that conclusion. This was something that he should have addressed himself and leaving it to his staff had been a mistake.

"If you ever need some space again, please just talk to me, Christian. Let me know so I can apologize if I've done something wrong or you can apologize for doing something wrong and we can move on without all of this crap happening."

Her request made sense, but Christian still felt sick about her hasty departure. "I like what you're saying, but it doesn't mean you might not leave again. I have pushed you to that point twice now and you still don't even know half of the shit I have hidden in my closet. I need some other kind of assurance. Something that tells me you won't leave me for anyone else."

They had stopped walking in front of one of the green park benches, so Ana sat down, obviously deep in thought. "What can I do, Christian? I have given you my word, but that isn't enough. How do I make you trust me?"

Christian didn't need to think twice about his answer. He bent down to meet her eyes before speaking. "Marry me, Ana."


	14. Chapter 14

Ana felt her mouth sag open. She had expected Christian to tease her about making another contract or something and instead he had proposed marriage. "Are you really doing this?" she asked, a little hoarse.

She hadn't needed to ask the question to know the answer. Christian's eyes shone with love and determination. "Yes, Anastasia, I am. I want you to be with me forever. I never thought that I could love someone as much as I love you."

The earnestness of his reply shook her to her core. Her heart was demanding that she say yes, but her rational side kicked in before she could accept his proposal. "Christian, you know how much I love you, but we can't start a marriage with so many secrets between us, with so many things unsaid."

Christian gave her a sharp look. "Ana, I already know everything about you, everything that you have done. I don't want to rehash bad memories or bring up past faults. Let's just start this new chapter of our lives fresh."

"I meant that there are things I don't know about you. You have so many things in your past that you refuse to talk about." Ana narrowed her eyes as she tried to think about what he had meant by "her past." Christian knew everything there was to know about her. After all, before him her life had been pretty average and she was barely in her 20's.

She must have given Christian something to think about because he was silent for several minutes. Finally, he spoke. "Point well made, Ana. There are a lot of things you don't know about me, but I would rather have that conversation with you as my fiancée, not as my girlfriend."

He leaned forward and brushed a kiss against her cheek. Ana felt her resolve weakening. "Yes," she whispered. She felt him melt against her, and then felt as his body shook with laughter. Surprised, she pulled away from him.

"I am one of the richest men in the nation and I had the audacity to propose to a beautiful woman without buying a ring first," he said, clearly amused with his predicament.

Ana gave him a jab. "Well if I knew you didn't have a ring, maybe I would have declined," she said, grinning in return. "I just might have to reconsider, Mr. Grey."

This sent Christian into another round of laugher. "Are diamonds really a girl's best friend, Ana?" _God, he was so beautiful when he smiled_. Christian did not wait for an answer and instead scooped her up in his arms and began walking to her car. "Well, if that is the case I would not want to keep you waiting any longer. Let's go see what we can do to remedy the situation."

* * *

Ana stumbled into bed, exhausted and wanting to sleep but unable to turn her mind off. She kept hearing Christian's voice; she could still see the look on his face as he told her all about his life with his birth mother and why he had found life as a dominant so appealing.

She had left him at Escala for the evening. At first, he had thought that she was running again and he had set into a panic. Thankfully, Ana had been able to reassure him that she had planned on returning to Kate's apartment anyway. She was not willing to give up this piece of independence that she had earned when he had left her. Working for a living and paying her share of rent just felt… right and very, very satisfying.

She giggled to herself when she thought of how Christian had mistaken her no-staying-over rule as an attempt at celibacy, like she had become religious overnight or something._ Like that would work for more than an hour. My body is still screaming for him now!_

Taking a deep breath, she looked around her room. She would have to give all of this up when she and Christian got married, but that didn't seem like as big of a deal. He was worth it and at least if they were married he would have to give her some divorce papers or something if he wanted her to leave; it would be harder for her to misinterpret that kind of a signal. Plus, if she was his wife and partner she would not feel like his moocher-girlfriend anymore.

Wife. She had thought about it so much that now the word sounded so funny and foreign. She had contemplated it most of the way home when she just couldn't think about Christian's past anymore. The fact that she would be a man's wife seemed unreal. Having helped her mom through so many divorces, Ana had been under the impression that she would likely never marry, but with Christian she knew that all other bets were off. She needed him with her, forever.

She glanced at the clock certain that morning was drawing near, but became distracted by the glimmer coming from her left hand. She smiled as she examined her new ring more closely. It had a huge square-cut diamond center, haloed by several smaller stones. The thing weighed a ton; Ana was going to have to move her hands more carefully from now on. There is no telling what kind of damage this sucker could do with her wild, careless gestures.

Christian had taken her to a small boutique on the edge of town to pick it out. The shop had been filled with exquisite antique jewelry and Ana had been overwhelmed by the selection. She smiled as she thought about what he had said when they had arrived. _An old fashioned ring for an old fashioned girl, Ana?_ He had used Ana's own perception of herself against her. Yes, she was an old fashioned girl.

At one point, she had caught a look at the price of one of the rings and had almost fallen off of her plush velvet seat. One glare from Christian had told her not to complain about the extravagance and after that she purposefully avoided inspecting the tags. It must have been pretty humorous for the staff at the boutique to help them with the expensive jewelry considering that they had parked her Hyundai right in front of the huge glass windows. Given the nature of their price range, Ana was certain that they would have expected one of the cars from Christian's fleet over her ride.

_The man does have good taste_. Christian had actually been the one to find the ring, having discovered it when she was visiting the restroom._ Even the toilet seats had been covered in old-lady velvet_. She had come returned to see him waiting for her with a smug look, gift bag in hand.

From there, they had gone to his apartment. The entire living area was decorated with candles and a large pillow/bed was in the center of the room. Fruit and champagne had been set out and music was playing softly in the background. Thankfully, none of his staff were in sight.

He had taken her in his arms and carried her to the pillow. This time, Ana had gone without protest or struggle. Once he had dropped her on the mountain of fluff and settled in next to her, he revealed the dark secrets of his past. He had cried and she had held him, reassuring him of her commitment.

They laid there in silence, soaking up the perfect time together, the perfect end to their day. Eager to be reunited, Christian had begun stroking her, pushing her to the brink but prevented her from falling until he was rooted deep inside her. The sex had been slow, not hurried like she had assumed their first time back together would be. With all of the tension that had built up between them, Ana had been sure that they both would climax instantly. But Christian had been merciless; building her up, just to let her back down and the feeling had been exquisite.

In the afterglow, he had grasped her hand and slowly, he had slid the ring on. "You are mine, Anastasia," he had whispered. "For now and forever." She couldn't have agreed more.

Saying goodnight to him had taken every ounce of her strength, but she would have hated herself in the morning if the night would have turned into a slumber party. She had made a promise to herself that she would become a self-sufficient adult during her remaining time as a single woman and she was sticking to it.

Interestingly, Christian had been accommodating once she had informed him that Ethan was spending his last night in town with another friend and that he would not be back until late morning to say goodbye. _Jesus, the man is never going to forgive Ethan for letting me get so lit at that party._

Suddenly, she felt wide awake and slightly guilty. _I haven't told Kate about the engagement!_ This was a serious violation of the girl code, even Ana knew that. She padded down the hallway to Kate's room and was about to open the door, but instantly pulled her hand away from the knob upon contact. _Fuck! What if Elliot is in there with her?_

Humpf! Having boyfriends around sure had cramped their style; Ana and Kate used to roam both rooms without worry and now their dynamics were undeniably changing. _They are going to change even more once you get married._

Ana pushed the unwanted thought away and moved on to the living room, thinking she could watch some T.V. to treat her impromptu case of insomnia.

Of course, the only thing on was the original version of _Carrie_, so she grabbed a blanket and settled in for the long haul.

Just as she was getting sucked into the whole evil-revenge-from-the-grave situation, she heard a light knock at the door. Ana visibly jumped, shaken by the movie and the unexpected noise. She cautiously walked to the door and peered through the peephole.

_God, it's only Ethan_. Laughing at herself for getting so easily rattled, she opened the door. "Ethan, what's up? Is something wrong?"

He looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry if I woke you, Ana. My buddy is an EMT and got called out, so I figured I would just come back here and see if anyone was up."

"Just watching a scary movie, you know, the stereotypical Friday night," she said waving her hand carelessly.

The ring on her finger caught Ethan's attention and he grabbed her wrist to get a better look. "What the hell, Ana? When did that happen?"

Ana shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "Um… today."

Ethan just shook his head at her. "One minute, it is the end of the world and you guys have broken up, then the next you are fucking engaged? Boy, Steele, you sure work fast." The smile on his face was growing, although his tone carried a little bit of concern.

Unsure of how else to explain the situation she just nodded. Ethan gave her another shake of the head and then his gaze flickered to the screen. "God, you're watching _Carrie_? This is the best part. Mind if I stay up with you?"

Eager for the company, Ana readily agreed.


	15. Chapter 15

"Want some popcorn? There is a scary movie marathon going on right now," Ana asked Ethan from the kitchen. Normally, she would have preferred to read a good book over watching old movies, but she felt like she really needed the company tonight. So much had happened over the past 24 hours that she couldn't turn her mind off.

"Do you have any chips?" he called back from his place on the couch, eyes glued on the set. _Geez, he can be demanding_. Ana was thankful that Christian did not get sucked into the television as easily as other men; seeing Ethan in the living room reminded her of how Ray would get during football season.

Ana grabbed the bag of chips and sauntered over to the couch to reclaim her place next to Ethan. His eyes remained focused on the tube. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend," Ana snorted as she threw a pillow at him.

He looked at her sheepishly, the spell finally broken. "Sorry, but I told you it was the good part. Would you rather play some poker and you could tell me all about your issues and troubles? It would bring back fond memories of last week for me."

Ana let out a giggle and gave him a swift kick. "You are such an ass, Ethan, but yes, I will play with you. Help me find the cards."

Playing cards proved to be an excellent distraction for Ana since Ethan was really good. She had to concentrate on her hand and her strategy rather than on Christian's fucked up personal history. Ana sent Ray a silent message of gratitude because he had introduced her to the game early on and so she was able to give Ethan a run for his money.

As they played, Ana told him about her creepy boss attacking her and Christian at the market and how much Christian hated her car. Ethan updated her about the week-long trip he was taking to Los Angeles before he began his graduate program at SeattleU. It had worked out well for him to stay in town for an extra week because in a few hour he would be heading straight to California instead of having to leave from his parent's home, which was further away. They stayed up talking until Kate and Elliot made an appearance sometime around 9 am.

"How long have you guys been out here?" Kate frowned, looking at both of them in turn. "Did you get any sleep at all, Ana?"

Ana smirked and looked back at the hand Ethan had dealt to her. "Good morning to you, too, sunshine. Ethan and I couldn't sleep. I wanted to wake you up to talk, but…"

Kate nodded, as she trailed off. Yes, things were defiantly changing between the two of them with all of these men around and Ana did not like it one bit. Her statement had grabbed Kate's attention, though. "What did you want to talk about?"

Intrigued, Kate walked over sit next to Ana on the floor. Ana waited until she had settled in before holding up her left hand for examination.

Kate gasped, obviously impressed by the size of the diamond. "Holy shit, Steele, you're engaged?" Kate squealed and wrapped Ana in a big hug, effectively knocking the air out of her.

Elliot cleared his throat. "I guess I get to be the awkward one and ask if you are engaged to Christian or some other dude. If it is the latter, then I would hate to be around when the control freak finds out."

Ana had to laugh at his choice of words. "Watch yourself, mister. You are talking to the future Mrs. Control Freak."

Frowning, Kate pulled away. "I don't get it; you were convinced 48 hours ago that it was over for good and now you're getting married to Christian? If I didn't know any better, I would think that this was a little unexpected on your part."

Unsure of how to explain their situation, Ana just smiled sweetly back at her. "It is, but I'm really happy. We were able to work things out the other day and, well, the stuff that went wrong isn't even going to be an issue anymore."

Kate looked a little pouty over Ana's revelation. "Just remember that I get to kick his ass if he ever hurts you again, Steele." With that understanding in place, Elliot stepped forward and enveloped Ana in a hug.

"Welcome to the family, sis," he said, giving her a goofy grin. Yes, the Grey men were in a class all their own. Everyone was having a good time ribbing Ana about the engagement when her phone vibrated. Ana had forgotten to charge the blackberry when she got home so it had been in her room until several minutes ago.

Frowning, she checked the screen to see if she had missed any calls. _Fuck! _Christian had tried to call four times in the last two hours. She scrolled down to find the two text messages he had sent:

*Where are you? Why won't you answer?

*Pick up, Anastasia. I'm going to be late getting to Kate's apartment this morning.

Ana gulped as she scrolled down further to see the email and four voice messages he had left, as well. Not wanting to read more of the same, Ana opted to just call him back and face the music. "Sorry, guys, I've got to call Christian," she muttered as she headed down the hall, aware that each of them were assessing her change of demeanor.

Christian answered on the first ring. "Where have you been?" he snapped. "I have been calling you all morning."

Ana hesitated. "I know, that is why I am calling you back. How has your morning been?"

"Well, I've had better than the cluster-fuck of trying to get ahold of you." God, Christian was steaming. Ana determined that she had to change tactics if she had any chance of defusing the situation.

"How long do you think it will take you to get here? Elliot, Kate and Ethan have found out about the engagement, so we should probably get a hold of our parents soon." There, that would likely make Christian's mood brighten.

As if by clockwork, she felt him smile at the thought of making the announcement. "I'll be there in an hour. The deal I was working on last night went sour and I have to do some last minute things in the office."

Ana thought she was completely off of the hook until Christian's voice dropped an octave. "But you won't distract me that easily, baby. You are going to have to learn to answer when I call you and I know just the way to give you the lesson."

Her legs turned to jelly at the sound of his threat. "Well, you can't do very much from your office, you I'd say I'm safe for at least another hour here… who knows, I might get into more trouble by the time you show up."

Christian sucked in a breath, taken aback by her brazenly defiant attitude. "We'll see about that, Ms. Steele." With that, he was off of the line.

Ana felt on top of the world as she walked back into the living room. _Maybe Christian wasn't going to be so difficult to deal with after all. Give the man a little sass and suddenly not answering the phone is a misdemeanor instead of a felony._

Everyone stopped talking when she entered, trying to assess whether the engagement was still on. Ana scowled at them, reading their thoughts. "Yes, we are still getting married, people. He is all bark, no bite."_ That is no completely true_. She shuttered inwardly as she remembered the night she first left Escala. _ Surely Christian wouldn't pull something like that again…_

"Good," Kate said. "We need to load Ethan's crap into my car because his flight leaves in less than two hours. We have to move out now!"

Within fifteen minutes, all of Ethan's bags were packed and ready to go. Kate and Elliot would be driving them to the airport and would likely be meeting Ana and Christian at the Grey's home later to share the big engagement news. Ana did not even want to think about what they would be doing during the time in between because of the looks they had been giving each other all morning._ Hey, if they do it at Elliot's place at least I won't walk in on them._ Ana wondered idly if Kate ever shared the same sentiments about her and Christian.

All too soon, she was giving Ethan a hug goodbye. "Thanks for the shoulder last week, friend," she whispered. Ethan gave her a squeeze before pulling away.

"Don't get soft on me, Steele," he warned with humor in his eyes. He pulled her close before adding "anytime, though." Ana waived from the front door as they pulled away.

The apartment felt so small now, with just her in it. Suddenly there was a strong knock at the door. Expecting that Christian may have left the office early after their banter, Ana raced over and put on her sexist smile. At least, she hoped that it looked at least a little sexy and not too comical.

When Ana opened the door, there was no one in sight. Instead, only a note was left on the mat. She stooped down to collect it, hoping that it was from the mailman or maybe a practical joke courtesy of Elliot. Instead, the words made her face blanch and her skin go cold. She quickly scanned the area surrounding the entrance, but her attempts were fruitless. _Who could have taken these pictures?_


	16. Chapter 16

**I really appreciate all of the comments. Thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think.**

* * *

_God damn merger agreement_. The day had not started out as he had hoped. Instead of spending time with Ana, he had been making deals with South Korean businessmen. He had wanted to announce their engagement to the entire family at once, but he could understand that Ana had needed to tell Kate. Christian might not have many friends, but he could appreciate the bonds that were important to Ana.

What he would not tolerate was her disregard for his need to contact her. Furthermore, her insistence on keeping her own cell phone plan made him grit his teeth. _Stubborn woman_.

It had taken a little less than an hour to wrap things up at the office and get to Kate's apartment. It had riled him to know that Ethan had stopped by the house before going to the airport, but at least Kate (and likely Elliot) had been there.

When he reached the front door he realized that it was cracked open. Silently he scolded himself for letting security get so lax. With Leila in the hospital he had been having Taylor stationed at home, but if Ana was going to be this careless that was going to have to change.

He let himself in and locked the door behind him, testing it for good measure. "Ana?" he called out. He could hear some rustling down the hallway once he called her name. Slowly, Ana emerged from her bedroom and their eyes met. Instantly, he knew that something was not right.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked, rushing to where she was. Her eyes were slightly pink, maybe from crying and she had the look of a person who had received a considerable fright.

Ana tried to smile at him and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine, baby. Just, you know, kind of emotional about everything. Besides, I think that I might not be over what had me sick on Thursday and Friday."

Christian scowled. "You look like you have seen a ghost and you are going to tell me that it was nothing? Does it have anything to do with your door being left open? Ana, I thought we were going to try communicating more." He held her at arm's length to get a better look at her. "And if you are getting sick again, god help me, I am taking you back to Escala this very minute. I can't look after you as well when you are living so far away."

"The drive is all but ten minutes, Mr. Grey and it is a moot point because I'm fine now. I just had an uneasy stomach. It has been coming and going, but it was probably just something I ate."

Not deterred, Christian pulled her back into his arms. "I am worried about you. Maybe we should make an appointment to see if you need antibiotics or something. I can't very well punish you the way you deserve if you are unhealthy." The last part of his sentence had a sensual vibe to it that made Ana smile.

"As much as I appreciate your concern, Mr. Grey, I feel fine, so punish away." Christian picked her up and carried her down the hall.

"With pleasure, Ms. Steele."

* * *

Ana smiled as she thought about how this had been their first time together as an engaged couple. True, she had accepted his proposal before their encounter last night, but this time the ring was on her finger: signed, sealed and delivered. All of Christian's anger had made the sex all the more hot. Give her a "punishment" any day, Mr. Grey.

She had been worried earlier that sex was going to be out of the question. Her stomach had turned on her, reminding her of last Thursday evening. Thankfully, she had managed to keep everything down and it had not taken long before the queasiness had passed.

Now, in the wake of their lovemaking, she twirled Christian's hair with her fingers and thought again about the events that had occurred before his arrival. Leaving the front door open had been stupid, she would give him that, but the note and pictures had been enough to override any other thoughts.

It still gave her shivers to think that someone had been able to take such pictures of her and Ethan. There had been a few of them at the bar the night they had gone drinking and one from the fraternity party when she had been playing karaoke. There had been two of her asleep in Ethan's arms, in the big bed in the fraternity house, and one other of the two of them last night, playing cards and laughing. Plus, there were several from the week before, some of the two of them in the apartment, talking, and some while they had been hanging out in the city. The ones of them in the apartment looked as though they had been taken through one of the kitchen windows. _How could someone be in all of these places?_

All in all, there were 32 pictures. While most were just them hanging out in various locations around Seattle, a few seemed more intimate. Although Ana knew that nothing inappropriate had happened, it was obvious to her what Christian would think if he saw them.

The note that was attached made it all worse. She had stared at it for what had seemed like an eternity and even now, as she thought about it, she didn't know what to do. It was typed out on regular printer paper and had read "I bet Christian would want a copy of these."

_I bet he would, too_. Her first instinct was to tell him and show him the pictures herself, but he already hated Ethan for taking her out that night and she didn't want to have to fight for that friendship the way she had to fight for Jose. Ethan was always going to be her best friend's brother and it would put Kate and Christian even more at odds with each other if the pictures got out.

Besides, what was she going to tell him? That she didn't sleep with Ethan? He had never questioned her about it, so bringing it up out of the blue would sound so…incriminating. It seemed like her only option was to wait it out.

She had hidden the photos and the note in her bedside drawer. Ana knew that it was a shitty hiding place, but she had been pacing around and looking at them when Christian had called out to her and she had been worried that he was going to walk into the room. She had gotten so emotional about the ordeal that she had started crying, which must have given Christian the hint that something was up.

Damn, she hated lying to him. They were doing so well about being honest with one another and now this had to happen. And this was totally on her, not something that she could even blame on his fucked up past.

Ana had done all she could by trying to think of who would do this to her. Given the nature and length of her life before Christian, there were not too many people who hated her on her short list. The only person she could really think of was Elena. Somewhere deep inside, she even hoped that it was Mrs. Robinson because if things got out of hand Christian might be able to see her for what she really was: a predator.

On the other hand, if Elena were to show the pictures to Christian it might make him vulnerable to her. It could even drive him back into her leather-clad arms. Ana tried to rid herself of the image, but it persisted.

Christian stirred beneath her hands. He had come to love her messing with his hair and it had apparently made him dose off in her lap this time. "Ana?" he mumbled, and stilled again.

Ana had to smile a little at the sleeping man-child. Yes, her Fifty was worth fighting for, even if it meant going head to head with Elena the child molester.


	17. Chapter 17

All of the members of the Grey family met at Escala later that evening. Although Kate and Elliot knew the engagement, Carrick, Grace and Mia were going to hear about the big news for the first time. Ana had to smile at the way Christian and Elliot were interacting. Elliot was trying really hard not to tease Christian until the announcement was made and Christian, fully aware of Elliot's dilemma, was egging him on by deliberately setting him up for punch lines. Ana loved this family and was honored to become a part of it.

Earlier that day, she had called her mom to let her know what was happening. Given the woman's track record with husbands, Ana had been expecting a debate over her marrying so young, but, surprisingly, her mom did not make one disparaging comment regarding matrimony. Ray, on the other hand, had been slightly more skeptical, but had warmed up when Ana had expressed how happy she was about the engagement.

After some light conversation and good-humored banter, Christian cleared his throat. "I want everyone here to know something." His gaze met each person and ended when he came looked down at Ana and smiled. "Ana and I are engaged and we will be getting married, as soon as possible, if I have anything to say about it."

The room was quiet for a split second before Mia and Grace were both on their feet, hugging Ana in tandem. Carrick shook Christian's hand, though he seemed a little less enthusiastic than the women.

"I'm so happy to have you for a sister-in-law, Ana," Mia gushed. "I honestly thought Christian was gay. Who knows, maybe you'll even give me some nieces and nephews!"

"Not so fast, Mia," Christian stepped in, scowling at her comments. "She is all mine for the time being." Ana gave him a quick look, but he smiled, silently letting her know once again that someday having kids would not be completely off of the table.

Christian kissed her hair and led her into the kitchen away from the crowd. "God, it felt so good to tell them," he said. "Did you see the look on my mother's face? She loves you, you know that, right?"

"I love her too, Christian. I love all of your family. I hope our announcement didn't upset your father, though. He looked a little less than pleased."

Christian's expressed darkened slightly. "My father sometimes has a hard time not acting like a lawyer. He has seen the fallout of a lot of speedy weddings and he just wants to save us the grief of a divorce, should things go sour. If he hurt your, feelings I am sorry. I really do not think it was intentional."

Suddenly, Ana felt a little lightheaded. She tried to shake it off, which only made her stomach flutter in the same uneasy way it had before. "Christian, I'm really sorry, but I'm not feeling well. I think that I may need to go home early."

Startled, Christian wrapped his arms around her. "Baby, why don't you stay here tonight? That way I can take care of you if you get sick again."

Ana gave him a brave smile. "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Grey, but I can make it just fine. I brought my own car here, so I think I will just wish everyone goodnight and go home to rest for work tomorrow."

* * *

Ana drove home in a daze, feeling lightheaded once more. Christian had been furious when she had put her foot down about not staying the night. Obviously, the Grey's were also concerned about her not staying at his apartment, but that was likely because they knew she had in the past and now that they were engaged it seemed like the logical thing to do again.

Not wanting to explain all of her personal convictions about living on her own right now, she had made a hasty retreat. Smirking, she checked her review mirror and could see Taylor in the car directly behind her. The poor man had better things to do than babysit her, but Christian had required his escort.

When she reached the apartment she waved him on, letting him know she would be okay on her own. She saw him give a small wave back and continue down the road past her. She really had missed Sawyer and Taylor's company. Although each of them had a distinct personality, they both had a good sense of humor about most things. When it came to work, though, they were all business.

Fumbling with her keys, Ana frowned when she realized that her front door was already cracked open. _How could I do this twice in one day?_ She stepped into the darkness, only to see that her bedroom light was on. Her breath caught in her throat as she came to the startling realization that someone was, or had been, in her home.

Cautiously, she stepped back outside and walked briskly around the corner until her apartment was out of sight. As she walked, she dialed Christian's phone. As much as she hated to get him involved, someone had actually entered her home. She knew that it was the smartest thing to do. Once again, Mr. Control Freak answered on the first ring.

"Ana? Are you okay?" he asked, cutting straight to the chase. Ana could hear the murmurs of conversation in the background and silently wished that she and stayed until Kate had been ready to leave.

"Christian, I think there is someone in my house. In my room, actually." Her voice came out small, but she knew that Chrisitan could hear every word because he was suddenly yelling for Sawyer.

"Baby, where are you? Are you in the house now?" he asked, slightly panicked.

"No, the door was open and there was a light in my room, so I left and walked about a block away." She hoped that Christian would get to her soon because it was starting to get dark. _Why the fuck didn't I just get back in the car? Stupid!_

"You did the right thing by leaving and calling me, Ana. Thank you for making your safety a priority. We will be there in a few minutes. Do not go back in the house, for any reason, understand?"

Ana agreed and quickly hung up. She couldn't beat herself up for not driving away; she had been so startled that she hadn't been thinking clearly in that moment. Shivering against the cold breeze and the teardrops that had begun to fall, she forced herself to remain positive.

At least Elena had not been waiting for her with a weapon of some sort. While it seemed farfetched, Ana considered the woman very unstable and did not want to underestimate what she was capable of doing. _If she can fuck and torture a fifteen year old boy then she could sure as hell attack me._

Ana stilled for a second as she thought about the possible outcomes of the night. Silently, she prayed that more pictures would not be strewn about her room. Should she had looked before calling Christian?

She glanced down at her phone; Christian would still be about another five minutes out. Maybe she could sneak in and see what the damage was or if there was any at all. Even if Elena was in the house, Christian would be there in a matter of minutes, so it was likely that Ana would be safe regardless if she waited for them or entered now on her own.

Ana sprinted around the corner and up her front steps. Once inside, she made note that the light in her room was no longer on. Silently, she crept down the hallway, cringing when one of the floorboard creaked under her weight.

There was no noise in response, so Ana breathed a sigh of relief. When she made it to her room, she sucked in a breath and switched on her light. She gasped; it was worse than she had expected.


	18. Chapter 18

The room was in shambles. Ana stood, awestruck for a moment, trying to take in everything that was out of place or destroyed. Her bedding had been torn in to shreds. Charlie Tango was cut up and ribbons of his remains were sprinkled among the ruble on the floor. Her curtains were scarred by knife marks and her clothes were in shambles.

Every dresser drawer was open and emptied, the contents dumped in various places. The only piece of furniture in tact was her bedside table. Ana rushed over to it, trying to find the pictures of her and Ethan, but they were gone. Instead, there was just another note, printed in the same style as the first one: "Looking for something?" was all that it said.

Frantically, she began searching through the mess on the floor. _What if they are in here somewhere, just waiting for Christian to find them? _She had gone through only a small portion of her belongings when she heard footsteps down the hall and her door burst open. She turned to find Sawyer pointing a gun at her. Taken aback to see her, he relaxed when she appeared to be unharmed.

He spoke into his phone, letting Taylor know that the house was clear and that Ana was with him. From what she could gather from the short exchange, Taylor and Christian had been circling the neighborhood looking for her.

"Mr. Grey is not going to be pleased to find you here, Ms. Steele," Sawyer warned, only voicing what Ana already knew. She just nodded and took another general look around the room. _Who had been in here?_

Ana knew the instant Christian had arrived because of the string of profanity that announced his presence. When he made it to where she was, Ana could tell that he was seeing red. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of her room, but he was not going to be distracted from her trespass.

"What are you doing here, Anastasia?" he growled. "I told you not to come back under any circumstances. What if the bastard was still here?"

Ana struggled for an excuse, but could not find a reasonable response. Seeing her inability to defend her decision made Christian even angrier. "Are you trying to kill me? I thought the worst when we couldn't find you outside. What the fuck was worth going back in here for?"

"Some things are not replaceable, Christian. I had all sorts of things in here. Memories… pictures," she said, trying to sound casual.

Christian frowned at her and ran his fingers through his hair. "What picture would be worth risking your life? Jesus, Ana, this was the craziest thing you've pulled to date."

Taking it as a rhetorical question, Ana did not answer. Instead, she began to cry. Christian rushed to hold her, perhaps finally understanding how vulnerable she had felt having someone riffle through her belongings.

"Call Flynn and confirm that Leila has not been released," he said, speaking to Taylor from over Ana's head. "I don't want to stop until we find out who did this." Frowning, he looked down at her. "This is the first attack, right? Nothing else out of the ordinary has happened?"

Not wanting to lie in so many words, Ana just nodded and buried her face in his jacket again.

* * *

Kate had arrived minutes after Christian and had insisted on seeing the bedroom herself. As it was her apartment, there was little for Christian to do other than mutter under his breath and allow her inside. After her inspection, she joined them all in the kitchen. Wide-eyed, she had enveloped Ana in a hug and Ana had held on for dear life.

Christian had left the apartment to follow-up with Jason after Ana had assured him it was alright to do so; by that point she had a cup of tea in her hands and both Kate and Elliot for company. Of course, Sawyer remained, as well, for Christian's piece of mind. The night was getting late, however, and Ana found herself falling asleep after all of the adrenaline had run its course.

Kate gave her a sympathetic smile and went back to her room, trying to find some spare blankets and pajamas for Ana to wear. When she opened her dresser, there had been a thick envelope lying on top of her socks. Her heart stopped, knowing that the package did not belong to her and had likely been left behind by the intruder.

After making sure no one had followed her into the room, Kate slowly opened the flap and reached for the contents. _What the hell?_

They were all pictures of Ana and Ethan. There were several of them around town, but a few of them were pretty solid evidence that they were having a fling. Kate knew that they had gotten closer over the course of the past few weeks, but there had been no reason for her to suspect that there had been an affair.

_When were these taken?_ Maybe they were taken during the first week Ana had moved in, when she and Christian had called things off. But even that doesn't explain who had taken them or why they were in her dresser.

Kate looked a little closer at Ana in the pictures. She looked so…happy and at ease. Maybe being with Ethan was how she had gotten over Christian in the first place. She had said something about how understanding he was…

But where did that leave Ethan now? If Ana was going to marry Christian, does that mean that Ethan was heartbroken? Kate scrunched up her face. No, Ethan had been his same annoying self all the way to the airport.

She gasped as she came to the pictures of the two of them in the apartment watching television together. Someone had been taking pictures through the window? She was officially disturbed even more, now.

Suddenly, a thought jumped into Kate's head. Maybe Ana was playing Christian. What if she really loved Ethan instead? Well, if that were the case, Kate would celebrate for days when the truth came to light; Christian had always been a sore spot between her and Ana. But should she confront Ana about the pictures or just wait it out until then?

Kate groaned. She was defiantly going to have to keep this from Elliot. The man loved his brother too much to keep quiet about an almost certain affair.

A few footsteps down the hall alerted Kate that someone was coming. Quickly she stuffed the envelope back into the drawer and grabbed a pair of pajama pants. She had just slammed the drawer shut when she felt Elliot's arms around her waist. _Talk about a fucking close call._


	19. Chapter 19

**I have gotten a lot of feedback from the last chapter. Pretty much, some people hate Ana, while others understand where she is coming from. It is interesting how everyone responds to a situation differently. Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it all (the good, the bad and the ugly/really bad). But I do appreciate the good the most lol**

* * *

Things were a little uncomfortable when Kate and Elliot returned to the living room. Ana groaned inwardly as she realized what they must have been doing in Kate's bedroom. _Jeez, they are like rabbits!_ Confirming her suspicions, Kate had been throwing her strange glances and then looking away whenever Ana returned her stare.

"Sorry guys, but I'm beat. I think that I'm going to crash on the couch and then tomorrow go shopping for some new bedroom stuff."

Elliot shook his head slightly, looking amused at her words. "It's cute how you think Christian is going to let you stay here after what happened. I'm almost convinced that Kate should move out, too, and it wasn't even her room that was destroyed."

Ana shrugged, but the man had a point. "I swear," he continued, as he stood up. "It's like you're new here or something."

She had not thought about how that would go over with Christian, though she was just as adamant as ever about not going back to Escala. If her stalker found out that she had moved to Christian's place they might start leaving messages for her there instead and that would be harder for her to cover up.

A half hour later, she had just about dozed off when she heard a knock at the door. Startled, she rose slowly from the couch, preparing herself to come face to face with her intruder. Thankfully, Sawyer had heard it, too, and was on his feet in an instant.

He cautiously opened the door and was visibly relieved when he saw that it was only Christian. Ana ran into his arms and he grabbed her and kissed her hair. "Everything is going to be fine, Ana. Leila is still at the hospital, so we can rule her out as a suspect. What we need to do now is get you back to Escala where you will be safe."

Ana pulled back a little and glared at him. "Christian, we have talked about this and it's not going to happen. I am staying here and that is final. I have already planned on going shopping for new bedding and stuff tomorrow, so you don't have to worry about saving the day this time."

The look Christian gave her was pure death. "You are coming with me now, Anastasia. This is about your safety, if you care to remember our little agreement." _Damn it!_ She had forgotten about his stipulation regarding her safety. Trying hard to regain the upper hand in the conversation, she knew that she was going to have to say something compelling in order to get him to let her stay.

"This is not about my safety, Christian; you just want me back in your apartment. But given the circumstances, I'll make a deal with you. Sawyer can stay here until things get sorted out." Ana glanced at Sawyer and caught his surprised expression. The two of them had been through a lot and Ana knew that if any other notes or pictures showed up he would be the only one she would have a chance at keeping quiet.

Christian gave her a long, hard look before glaring at Sawyer. "Ana, let's talk outside." He did not even give her a chance to object before he grabbed her by the arm and led her out. He waited until they were away from earshot before he continued in a quiet voice.

"Ana, is there something going on between you and Luke?" he asked, his voice strained.

Ana jumped at his accusation because it was completely unexpected. "Of course not, Christian, he is a member of your staff. Besides, we are getting married. Why would you even ask that?"

Christian was still for a few minutes before he exhaled. "You're sure? I would rather find out now than later, Ana." He gave her a look that said so much and yet, nothing at all. _What the hell is going on?_

Suddenly, Ana understood what was going on. _Maybe someone had sent Christian photos of Sawyer and I._ Ana contemplated the issue, but came up short because they had never hung out together outside of work. There was no way anyone could misrepresent the relationship between her and Sawyer.

When she looked back at Christian's face she remembered that she had not answered his question. "Jesus, Christian, I am sure. I am not even close enough to him to call him by his first name for crying out loud!" There, that seemed to have him stumped. "Besides, he is not really my type, you know?"

She had meant that last part as a joke, but it had caused Christian to stiffen once again, although this time he gave her a slight nod. "Well, then, I am glad we have that settled," he said, although he looked anything but glad.

Ana regarded him curiously for a moment, but he scowled at her. "Okay Christian, if that is settled I really need to get back to sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow and I know that you do, too."

With a curt nod, he escorted her back into the apartment. After briefing Sawyer on the situation he left without saying goodbye. _God, he could be in a foul mood sometimes._

Morning came all too soon and Ana rushed to get ready for work. She was slightly surprised that Christian hadn't put up more of a fight about her going in today, but he had been very allusive after he questioned her about having an affair with Sawyer.

The drive to work was amusing, as she had anticipated. Once again, she drove her Hyundai and a security guy followed her in a car worth five times what her ride cost. No, the irony was not lost on her.

As she walked to the building she saw that Christian was waiting for her outside. He had his back to her and he was talking on the phone, so she slowed down her pace so she could drool at the sight of his body.

It had seemed like forever since they had had sex in her bed, but really it had only been a matter of hours. When she reached him, she grabbed his butt through his jeans. Startled by her unexpected touch, Christian had jumped ten feet in the air.

He hung up the phone without saying goodbye, which made Ana all the more curious about who he was talking to, but she pushed the thought aside.

"Hey, good looking!" She smiled up at him, as innocently as she could. His expression instantly changed from one of irritation to skepticism. _At least that means his attitude is moving in the right direction._

"What? If I can't sexually harass you here, where else am I going to do it, boss?" Christian let out a bark of a laugh and Ana felt a little better. Everything was going to be okay.

"I love it when you are sex starved, Ana. It makes for a good morning," he said, leering at her with those god-awful sexy eyes. The tone of his voice made her head spin.

Hooking his arm in hers, she walked with him through the doors of his company. "Oh, um…we are still engaged, right?" Her question made Christian laugh once more. "Yes, Ana we are still engaged. As a matter of fact, I had been doing some thinking about that last night…"

She looked at him, expecting him to finish his thought, but he shook his head. "I have a surprise for you, something I think you will like, but you will have to wait until tonight to find out what it is."

This man oozed mystery. Fine, she could wait it out, but not for too long. "Okay, but it better be pretty cool because I am really excited now."

He smirked at her; of course it was going to be out of this world. He was Christian Grey, CEO of the universe, wasn't he? "Only one catch, you have to come back to Escala to get it." His eyes were twinkling as he delivered the catch.

Ana thought it over. "Fine, but I will leave before morning and I will remind you that kidnapping is still a crime in Washington State, Mr. Grey."

"You are forgetting something else, Ana: possession is nine-tenths of the law."


	20. Chapter 20

As promised, Christian was waiting for her at the end of the workday. While she walked to meet him, she allowed her mind to wander over the events of the day.

Oddly enough, after being in the office for a little over an hour, Hanna had referenced the fact that both she and Jack had been out of the office on Friday. Confused, Ana had not pressed the issue. _Why the hell did he give me the fifth degree about not coming in if he wasn't even here?_

Feeling better about her absence, she smiled as she made it to the front door, giving Christian a sensual look and a quick peck on the cheek in greeting. He growled at her, obviously displeased at the short length of the kiss, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

"So, sir, just what is my surprise? New bedding, I hope." Ana giggled at the look he gave her.

"No, Anastasia, this is more of a permanent surprise." The look in his eye warned her not to ask more, but she couldn't help herself.

Warily, she prodded him. "I'm not moving in with you, Christian, if that is what this is about."

"Just get in the fucking car, Ana," he replied, exasperated. "Taylor will drive your…um, vehicle back to Kate's house."

Shrugging, Ana complied. The anticipation was mounting inside her and she did not want to argue. Christian slid into the driver's seat and merged into traffic. Idly, he grabbed her hand and slowly massaged her knuckles. Ana gulped because of the instant electricity between them.

Glancing over at her, Christian smiled and then returned his concentration to the road. "I feel it, too, baby," he said quietly.

They arrived at Escala and Ana looked at him, expectantly, as he parked. He gave her a look that in no uncertain terms instructed her to be patient. When they reached the elevator, Christian entered his code for access to the roof.

"We are taking Charlie Tango? Is that the surprise?" It had seemed like forever since they had gotten to go out together. It was always so hot to watch Christian fly; seeing him in control was seeing him in his natural habitat.

Christian smirked at her. "I guess it is part of it, although it seemed like a means to an end to me." _What? This must be a really big surprise if flying is just consequential._

After ensuring that all the checks had been made and that the tank was full, Christian helped secure her in her seat. She knew from the carnal look in his eye that it really turned him on. Having his hands all over her body was enough to do her in, too. Honestly, though, his help was not unneeded; the straps were so complicated that she felt as though she were inside a cocoon.

Satisfied with his work, Christian climbed in beside her and received approval to take off. The view of Seattle was breathtaking in the daytime, but Ana craved to see the city from above during the night again. The glimmering of the buildings was just too much to pass up.

Trying to remain patient, Ana made an attempt at small talk. "So, how was work?" trying her best to sound like a normal fiancée.

Christian gave her a funny look. "Work was good. I had to tie up some things because we will be gone for several days, Ana."

Startled, she quickly looked down, uncertain of how to respond. Of course she couldn't take off more work now. Was the man out of his mind? Jack already wanted to fire her and was likely just looking for a good excuse. There was undoubtedly perks to working for your lover, but Christian had to draw the line somewhere.

After a few minutes of silence, Ana realized that Christian was waiting for some kind of an argument on her part. _Jesus, am I that predictably disagreeable?_ Not wanting to admit the ire she felt about being kept from her job, she just smiled back. "That sounds lovely, Mr. Grey."

_There! That will show him that he doesn't know every move I'll make_. Christian did look surprised and very happy at how well she had taken the news. If Ana wasn't mistaken, she would have guessed that she had won the approval of Mr. Control Freak.

"As always, Ana, you are unexpected. I love that about you very much." With that, they both sighed a breath of relief and rested easy as harmony filled the cabin. Yes, sometimes shit just wasn't worth bickering over.

* * *

"Las Vegas?" Ana was unsure of how she should respond. The skyline was gorgeous as they flew over the center of the city and landed on one of the big hotels on the strip. "Why are we here, Christian?"

He gave her an intense look before proceeding with an answer. "Ana, I am not spending another night without knowing that you are safe. You have managed to thwart even my best attempts to make sure you are not in danger and I will not stand for it."

She gulped. It was true to a certain extent; last night had driven him to the edge. "For this reason, we are getting married here, where I can keep an eye on you. You may have refused to stay in my apartment, Ms. Steele, but you will not be allowed to refuse my hotel room."

Head spinning, Ana felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her. "But everyone will be so disappointed if we don't have a real wedding. Think about Mia, for Christ's sake!"

Christian shook his head. "Will you be disappointed, Ana? Right now, that is all I care about." Ana had to think for minute.

"No, I want to be married to you, Christian," she replied, so sure of her answer. After she spoke, though, she knew that she would have to say more. "But marriage is all about telling each other the truth and I have not been completely truthful with you."

She paused, watching as Christian's eyes widened at her admission. "Christian, I lied to you about the break in. Something else had happened to me before that."

His eyes darkened slightly as he regarded her. She watched as he silently unbuckled his seatbelt and reached over to free her from her restraints. Finally, he spoke. "Okay, Ana, let's go down to the hotel room and talk this over. Just so you know, I am going to have to punish you for this one." There was not a trace of humor in his voice.


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the long delay! Midterms were kicking my butt so thanks for being patient.**

* * *

_Why the fuck does this always happen? _Christian had promised that there would be no more talk of punishments, and yet, here they were again. This turn of events left them squaring off on the roof of the casino, each trying to decide how to get the upper hand in the confrontation. The energy that fizzled between them was electric.

Ana felt a shiver rack her body, though the temperature had to still be in the high 90's. The look on Christian's face was enough to make her feel cold all over. "I didn't have a choice," she whispered, willing for him to understand why she had not told him about the previous note. "I was being blackmailed."

Christian's eyes softened only slightly as she admitted the last portion. Perhaps he could see how much this was killing her. Unfortunately, even his momentary expression of compassion did not sway him from seeking the information he wanted. "What were you being blackmailed over, Ana?"

"There were some, uh... photos of me that were less than flattering. I didn't want to have to show them to you." Ana gave a weak smile and hoped that explanation would stow Christian's twitching palm. Instead, it made him withdraw slightly, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, something seemed to dawn on him and he closed his eyes before voicing his next concern.

"Were they indiscrete photos, Ana?" Unable to confirm or deny, she just shrugged. _Well, they sure look sketchy as hell._ Christian opened his eyes and examined her closely, as though for the first time.

"Were they pictures of you and Ethan?" Ana felt her mouth drop open. _How could he have known that? _She felt her cheeks redden at the thought that Christian could have seen them. Christ, what he must think if he had seen some of the ones of them out together.

Christian watched impassively as she attempted to collect herself. "How did you know? Did they send them to you, too?" He rolled is eyes at her and took a deep breath.

"No, Anastasia, they did not send them to me, which is a good thing because I would have killed that fucker myself if they had," he said, running his hands through his hair once again. Ana frowned at his reference to Ethan. He really needed to give up on that whole screwed up night if he expected her to get passed the Leila debacle.

"So is that all? Being blackmailed by some creep? You don't have any other information about who this might be, do you?" His questions came in fast succession, but Ana was expecting them. She shook her head and Christian gave her a tense nod before taking out his cell to update Taylor about the situation.

Taking advantage of Christian's distracted state, Ana walked over to the ledge of the roof to get a better view of the people walking on the ground. It was a tall building and everything below, above and side to side was flashing and shimmering. Everyone on the sidewalks seemed to be in such a hurry, so much like her Fifty. Wistfully, she began daydreaming of simpler times for her and Christian after they were married.

_Married?_ Holy crap, she had forgotten the entire purpose of the trip during Christian's interrogation. The idea that they would be married within a matter of days was flooring. Days, hours, even minutes; Christian had not relayed his plans for this crazy scheme. She giggled at the thought that her wedding could very well be minutes into her future and an hour ago she had no idea that it was impending.

She glanced back at Christian, who even with his back turned appeared way too serious for his own good. Without hesitating, she climbed up one of the beams that supported the rooftop neon sign. Using the vertical beam for balance, she twirled around, leaning back as she swung in a display of relatively good motor skills.

The twirling flushed her face and the exhilaration of being so high made her feel on top of the world. The ledge was far enough away, but the ability to see the ground was pure adrenaline.

"Ana!" The sudden noise from Christian made her lose her grip and land hard on her butt. In an attempt to catch herself she had scuffed up her left arm and both of her hands, but the look of outrage and concern that Christian had as he knelt beside her was almost comical.

"What the hell were you doing? Can you not tell how close to the ledge you were? Christ, Ana, have you no sense at all?" His words were expected, but she could not help rolling her eyes. Somewhat tender, she slowly stood up by herself, effectively swatting his hands away as he tried to help her.

"Christian, I was several yards away from the ledge and in no danger at all. At least, until you startled me. Now, if you are done being a maniac I think we should take a look around Las Vegas. I have never been here and you owe me a drink to ease the pain my butt is in."

Christian narrowed his eyes at her, displeased with her outburst and her high-handed manner. Her inner goddess cheered at her command of the situation. Slowly, he began to smirk. "Well, Ms. Steele, I guess your pink ass will have to be your punishment this time. Although I do belive that I could do a more thorough job should the need arise."

Ana stiffened. That was not the response she had expected, but it had helped to lighten the mood so she decided to play along. She batted her eyelashes at him and gave him a coy expression. "I am afraid you are right, sir. It does sting a little, but not as much as it should. I have been behaving very badly tonight."

She watched as Christian's mouth dropped in disbelief. He swallowed hard and gave her a carnal look. Fully enjoying her moment of control, Ana continued. "But you have been pretty bad yourself," she said, taking a step toward him and twisting his tie with her fingers. "I think I am going to make _you_ beg for it this time, Mr. Grey."

_God, this is so hot._ Christian growled at her words and quickly attempted to unfasten her belt. Her pulse was racing so fast that she almost let him start undressing her. Pulling upon every ounce of her self-control, she placed her hands over his and stilled his motions. "No way is it going to be that easy, Mr. Grey. I said that you would have to beg and I meant it."

He gave her a pathetic look, but she just kissed him on the nose. Realising that he was not going to get anywhere while they remained on the roof, he sighed deeply and glared at her. "Fine, Ana, but two can play it that way."

Unfazed, Ana assessed him before speaking. "Until our wedding night, then, Mr. Grey? I would not want to compromise your integrity."

Christian choked out a laugh before picking her up and twirling her around. As he set her down, she could feel that he was still rock hard. The expression on her face must have given her realization away. "Yes, Ana, if you are going to keep toying with me then this will be the condition I will remain in for the duration," he whispered as he kissed her hair. "God, I love you so much."

* * *

_She is going to be the death of me_. Christian could kick himself not taking off her pants on the roof when he had the chance. Between all of the tension and Ana's refusal to stay at his apartment, their sex life had been lacking and his hunger for it was mounting. As it were, he was now left with an empty room with a tease of a fiancée and the worst hard on of his life.

Ana had decided to take a quick shower before heading down for dinner and it had taken all of his strength not to follow her into the bathroom and demand what was rightfully his. God help him if he gave her that kind of satisfaction since this whole stunt was intended to make him beg.

Grumbling, he pulled out his laptop and settled in to get some work done. He opened his email and scanned quickly to see if there was any pressing news. He frowned at the unfamiliar address and clicked to open it. He never received span because his security was top notch.

The email had two attachments, but the main text only included one short sentence: _How much do you like to share? _Puzzled, he clicked on the first attachment and he felt his blood pressure rise as a picture came into view. It was a photo of Ethan and Ana, no doubt one of the pictures she had worried that he had seen.

There was nothing explicitly scandalous about the photo; the two of them were walking on a sidewalk together in what appeared to be downtown Seattle. Ethan had his arm around Ana and was smiling about something. Ana looked as radiant as ever as she gazed at him with admiration. Christian could tell that she was amused as well. _I have never made her that happy._

Even though Christian's heart was breaking, he forced himself to open the other document, knowing that if he didn't it would haunt him. The second picture was of Ana and Ethan on Kate's couch. They were cuddling under a blanket and it looked as though the picture was taken from the outside of a window. Disgusted, Christian couldn't help but wonder who had been sneaking around the outside of the apartment taking the pictures.

Just as he was about to close out of the document something caught his eye. The date in the corner of the photograph was the night that Ana had told him that Ethan would be gone. She had lied to him to spend the night with that fucker! Slamming the laptop shut, he gripped his hair with both hands and closed his eyes.

_Am I losing her?_ The thought of Ana leaving him was too much to bear, so he mentally went over his options to keep her. He could show Ana the pictures and confront her about her lie and the cheating, but if he did that she might get mad enough to call off the wedding and he knew that he could not spend more time apart. If he continued as though nothing had happened he might go crazy. Already Christian could feel the jealousy and the anger rising like bile in his mouth.

The sight of that fucker and Ana on the couch together kept flashing in his mind. He heard the shower stop in the bathroom and knew that he only had minutes to decide what to do. Picking up his phone, he dialed Taylor.

"Jason, I need you to track some emails for me."


	22. Chapter 22

Ana stepped out of the steam and curled her toes into the plush bathroom rug. The hotel room had reeked of extravagance, but Christian had not seemed to notice. She smiled as she thought about the way he had swipped a bottle of wine from the mini bar, only to look up and give her a satisfied grin. It should be taken as a sign: only the most luxurious of hotels would carry wine that would meet that maniac's standards.

She ran her hand over the mirror to clear the fog away, but before she could finish the job she felt her stomach complete a full flip-flop motion. Panicking, she rushed to the toilet just in time to lose her lunch and, most likely, a majority of her breakfast.

_What is going on with me? I just started to feel like I kicked this thing and now I'm back to puking? _Ana flushed the toilet and reached for the toothbrush she had kept next to the sink. This was defiantly not going to help her tempt Christian back into bed.

She choked on some toothpaste as a morbid thought occurred to her. Could she possibly be pregnant? All of the kinky fuckery could have caused several pregnancies by now. She held her hand against her stomach and looked down at the flat surface. No, she had gotten that birth control shot at the hotel when Leila was still on the loose.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she went back to brushing her teeth and contemplating what could be wrong. After tossing out several other options, Ana determined that the stress of the past few weeks must taken their toll on her physically.

She slipped into the cute outfit that Christian (or more likely, Taylor) had picked out for her and gave herself one final assessment in the mirror. It was a black dress that clung to all of her curves and the right side of the material had a slit that showed off way more than she would have normally dared. The matching shoes had several layers of thin straps that wrapped around her ankles. Hopefully, Christian would find her attire as pleasing as she did.

As she exited the bathroom she could hear Christian talking on the phone in the living room. He was speaking in a loud, even tone and given the fact the connecting door was left open she could not help but overhear his portion of the conversation.

"Yes, I want to know everything. Find that fucker and keep tabs on him." There was a small pause in the conversation and Ana held her breath, hoping to find out what was going on. Christian gave an exasperated sigh and she knew he had begun pacing.

"Do not light up on the security back home, either. I know him and I don't think he sent the email, so that means that we could be dealing with two people." A few more paces and Ana could hear the sound of a wine bottle being opened.

Ana remained still, unsure of whether she should reveal herself or try to find out more. It seemed so out of character for Christian to turn to alcohol when things went badly, but maybe that was something he did that she had never known about. How well could she really know him? After all, they had only been dating a few months. Her concerns were interrupted by Christian's menacing growl.

"I am not telling her anything. I love her. We are going to get married and put all of this shit behind us, understand Jason? Now go do the job that I pay you for."

_Crap! He is coming in here! _Ana knew that there was no time to play innocent; it would be obvious that she had heard every word of the conversation, so instead she made the first move. Christian had almost reached the threshold when she called to him from where she stood.

"Baby, what was that about?" Ana hoped that she sounded nonchalant as he met her in the room. It was dark, so she could not make out Christian's expression. He put his hand on the small of her back and brought her closer to him.

"Forget about it, Ana. All of that shit just makes me glad that you are here with me and that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together." His words could have melted her heart, but his body remained stiff and his tone sounded so formal and distant.

She switched on the lights so she could look him in the eyes. Not expecting to see him in such a state, she gasped. His tie was askew, his hair looked wild and his eyes held a haunted expression. He looked utterly lost.

"What is going on, Christian? If we are going to get married we need to tell each other everything, remember?" Apparently, her words struck a chord with him because he snapped out of his stance long enough to give her a glare.

"Since when are you telling me the truth, Ana? You can get off of that high horse of yours any time now," he spat at her. Taken aback at his cruel words, she did not know who to respond. _What the hell is he talking about? _

"You are still made about me lying about the pictures? If we can't move past something like that, then how will this marriage ever work, Christian? I love you and you need to have some faith in me." The room filled with silence and Christian gave her the most unnerving, unwavering gaze.

"Those pictures speak a thousand words, baby. I did trust you, Ana, and look what happened," he choked. "You lied to me so that you could spend time with that fucker. Well, I'm not letting that happen again, so you better be prepared for this marriage with that in mind."

Ana's head was spinning as she watched him take one last swig of wine and walk out of the room. "Where are you going, Christian?" she asked, following him into the living room and watching in horror as he opened the hotel room door. Without answering, he slipped outside and within seconds Sawyer appeared.

Ana did not wait for Sawyer to give her an apologetic look. She grabbed her purse and tried to run after Christian. She had almost made it past the guard dog when he grabbed her gently by the elbow.

"Ms. Steele, I must request that you remain in the room until Mr. Grey returns. He has instructed me to wait with you here." If looks could kill, Ana would have done Sawyer in with her glare. Surprised by the intensity of her reaction, he allowed her to wrench free from his grasp.

"Don't give me that shit again, Sawyer. You might be good company but no way am I waiting around for Mr. Grey again. The last time this happened I was trapped in an apartment for an eternity, if you remember correctly." Though unsure of how to respond, Sawyer gave her a glance that held some form of empathy.

Ana put her hand to her head and leaned against the wall. "Could you get me some water? I think that I am feeling a little dizzy." Sawyer nodded and retreated to the full on-suite kitchen to get a glass for her. It hadn't been a lie; Ana felt like hell. But it did give her a chance to slip out of the room and catch the elevator that had appeared most conveniently to aid in her escape.

* * *

Christian sat at the bar and threw back his fourth martini. "Damn, so much for a crazy bachelor party. You are making my job as the best man way too easy," Elliot said from one seat over. "Soon you will be so smashed that you won't even remember tonight."

As part of the surprise wedding for Ana, Christian had arranged for both of their families to come to Vegas to be a part of the ceremony. His parents and her mother would be landing at the airport in the morning and Ray was driving and due to meet them tomorrow afternoon.

As it stood, Mia, Kate and Elliot had caught flights this morning and had intended on taking the bride and groom out for one last night of "freedom," although this bachelor party had been planned against Christian's will. It was only after Mia's insistence that he agreed to spend the night with Elliot and leave Ana to the ladies.

Unfortunately, the night was not going as planned. He was supposed to bring Ana down to dinner over an hour ago and hand her over to the girls there, but he couldn't stand being alone with her that long with all of these issues between them. He was thankful that he had thought to instruct Sawyer to remain in the room with Ana rather than letting her go wild with Kate and Mia because at this point there was no way he would trust her alone.

He felt his phone vibrate again in his pocket as he ordered another round for him and Elliot. It had been going off nonstop for the past hour, but Christian was not in the mood to talk about feelings with Ana. Nope, tonight was going to be about him drinking away the pain.

Christian smirked at Elliot. The guy was great to have around in a time of crisis, that was for sure. He was funny, and getting funnier with every drink, and he didn't ask too many questions about what was going on with him and Ana.

He groaned as his mind wandered back to Ana. _What the hell am I going to do about that? _He chewed his olive garnish and thought about his options once more. He had told Jason that he was going to play it cool, but that was pretty much out the window. When Ana had started laying into him about honesty he had totally lost it.

_And she deserved it. She is the one who cheated._The alcohol helped to keep his rage under control, but just barely. Unlike some, alcohol never made him an angrier person. Instead it had a calming effect that he craved right now.

He had order Jason to have someone locate and follow Ethan, though he was not entirely sure why. Christian was convinced that the email was not sent by Ethan because it was too much of a change in character. Ethan might be a back-staber and a liar, but it didn't seem likely that he would flaunt his sleeping with Ana. If he wanted to rub it in he could have just fessed up that morning at the fraternity house.

No, the person who had sent the emails was more cynical, but trying to wrap his mind around the issue was making his head hurt. The liquor was making it harder to think clearly, so Christian abandoned trying to figure the mess out and just reached for his next cocktail. Elliot was watching him closely and smiled as their eyes met. Taking his own drink in hand, he raised it to meet Christian's, though since he had been drinking just as much it took a few times before the glasses clinked together.

"To Christian Grey!" he announced loudly, catching the attention of several people nearby. "And to making this a night to remember!"

A few onlookers raised their glasses to the toast. Christian had to smile and let out a barking laugh. What had he gotten himself into?


	23. Chapter 23

Ana let out a deep breath as the elevator doors closed and the supporting gears shuttered into motion. She fumbled with her purse and dialed Christian's number. After several rings, it went to voicemail and Ana hung up with a huff. _That ass is ignoring me!_

She leaned back on the rail and closed her eyes, trying to think about where Christian would go alone. The bar, maybe? The elevator dinged and stopped on a lower floor. A gasp made her open her eyes and what she saw made her jaw go slack. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked in a shrill voice, still not believing what she was seeing.

Kate and Mia gawked at her from the threshold of the elevator doors. They stood there for so long that the doors began to close, but luckily Kate caught it with her hand in time.

"What are you doing alone? We were supposed to meet for dinner tonight," Mia responded, put out by the delay in the all-girl party.

_Oh, Christian!_ He must have set this up to surprise her. He knew how important family was to her and he had invited her friends to spend the big day with them. Ana's eyes teared up and both girls rushed to embrace her as the elevator doors closed behind them.

"Guys, I don't know where Christian is and I just gave Sawyer the slip because I have to find him," she admitted between sobs. "I think that he thinks that I have done something wrong, but he won't talk to me. He just accused me of being dishonest but I don't know what he is talking about."

She felt Kate tense and draw away to look her in the eye before speaking in a cautious tone. "Are you sure that you want to even marry him, Ana? What if you are meant to be with someone else?"

Both Ana and Mia gasped at her words. "Kate, I love him so much. I could never be with anyone else." _How could she even think that?_

Kate's face blanched and it looked as though she, too, would be sick. Both girls gave her a perplexed look, but waited for some kind of an explanation. Finally, Kate leaned forward and whispered to Ana. "I think that I need to talk to you alone."

Mia shook her head. "No one is leaving me out of this. Spill it, Kate."

Kate hung her head, displaying an insecure side that Ana had never seen before. "I think that I have some explaining to do, but it's a long story, so lets go to Mia's room, okay?"

_Oh my God, she is really shaken up._ Knowing that she would never get a straight explanation any other way, Ana agreed and they started to go back towards the floor they had met on. Several people had gotten onto the elevator at this point and it seemed a little uncomfortable to say anything else in such a public place.

After what seemed like an eternity, they arrived at the room and Kate broke her silence. "The day that the apartment got broken someone left some pictures in my dresser."

Ana groaned, instantly guessing what type of pictures they were. "Ones of me and Ethan?"

Kate nodded slowly. "So you have seen the pictures? I wasn't sure if it was you who left them for me or not." She glanced at Mia, as though unsure of whether they should continue in her presence.

"Why would I leave you pictures? I know that they look sketchy, but I love Christian and Ethan is like a brother to me, you know that. What, did you think that I would leave Christian or something?" Mia continued to remain silent, which was surely a first for her.

Kate gave Ana a perplexed look. "It sure looked as though you wanted to be with Ethan. I mean, Ana, some of those pictures were... kind of intense. What were you doing in bed with him if you didn't like him?"

Ana heard Mia gasp at this revelation and she felt her cheeks blush in embarrassment. "I had been drinking... and Christian and I were fighting... and I think I had a nightmare and we both fell asleep in the same bed, but nothing happened! Have you talked to Ethan about this?"

When Kate shook her head Ana sent up a prayer of thanks; hopefully, this conversation would never be revealed to Ethan because he would never let her live it down. Her relief was short-lived, though, when she saw Kate's expression.

"There is more," she gulped. "After the pictures I received an email from your address at work, saying that you wanted to leave Christian, but that he wouldn't let you. It said that he was trying to force you to marry him... so I sent him a few of the pictures that had been left for me."

_Someone sent a bogus email from my account? _Ana closed her eyes as she absorbed this last piece of information. Finally, it was starting to make sense. Christian thought that she was having an affair with Ethan and that she was trying to leave him.

When she opened her eyes again she saw that Kate was crying. Ana rushed over to envelop her in a hug. "It is okay Kate. I know that you were just trying to help me. You were just trying to be a good friend," she whispered. She pulled away and looked her friend in the eye. "If Christian had just asked me about Ethan then none of this would have happened. I don't blame you; Christian and I are the idiots."

"Christian will blame me," Kate sniffed. "I will be lucky if I ever get to see you again. And Elliot is going to blow his top. I lost it one night and showed him the photos because I didn't know what to do and he told me to give them to you, but not to show them to Christian. I thought that sounded like a good idea, but then I got the email and it changed everything."

"Since when do you care what Christian thinks? And I know a few ways you can get back into good graces with Elliot." Kate managed to laugh at Ana's astute observation; yes, Kate and Elliot were going to be just fine.

When she was convinced that Kate was stable, Ana withdrew from her and looked at Mia, who remained seated on the bed. "Mia, what is it?"

"I was just thinking about how we can fix this. You said that Christian is not answering your calls and he has not picked up for me either tonight. No offence, Kate, but he likely wouldn't pick up for you on a good day, so it would be pointless to have you try."

Kate just nodded at the truth of the statement. "Elliot's phone has been off all night. He said that he was going to turn it off so he could spend the time with Christian."

Mia thought for another minute before perking up. "Ana, can you call Taylor and find out where they are?"

Ana gave the idea a moment of thought before nodding slowly. "I guess I can try to call Taylor, but Sawyer was supposed to keep me in the hotel room all night, so no way should we agree to meet up with security somewhere. In fact, I am going to ditch my phone in here, if that is okay Mia, because they probably have it bugged or something."

Mia nodded and handed Ana her phone to make the call. Ana switched her phone off and dialed Taylor's number. He answered after the first ring.

"Taylor? I need to speak to Christian. Is he there with you?"

There was a slight pause on the other end. "Ms. Steele, Mr. Grey instructed Sawyer to keep you in the hotel room until the ceremony tomorrow. Please return so that he can perform his duties."

Ana prickled at the way Taylor evaded her question. "Just put Christian on, Taylor, please."

Again, another pause. "Mr. Grey is not with me, Ms. Steele. He left with his brother and said that he would be meeting you at the ceremony tomorrow at 6 pm. He had intended for Sawyer to escort you there. Your dress, as well as the other dresses, are in the hotel room now."

Ana felt her head spin at the news. _Our wedding is tomorrow?_ "Are you sure that he still wants to go through with the wedding, Taylor?" she asked in a small voice.

This time there was no hesitation on the other end. "Yes, ma'am. When I spoke with him he was very adamant about keeping to the schedule."

Ana had to smile at that. Her Fifty was a control freak, but that suited her just fine. "If you speak to Christian again please tell him that I love him and that I will see him at six. Goodbye, Taylor."

"Very good, Ms. Steele," he said, a little uncertain.

Ana hung up and turned to face her friends, slightly distraught. "Crap, I didn't ask him where the wedding was going to be!"

Mia laughed at her plight. "I bet you never would have thought you would have to ask where your own wedding was going to be, did you?" Ana shook her head, smiling back. "It is at the Bellagio."

Kate stood up and joined the two of them. "Well then girls, lets go and have some fun. This is Ana's last night as a single woman and if we find Christian along the way, that will just be a bonus."

"I bet you never thought that you would be saying _that_, now did you?" Ana asked, grinning broadly. They all giggled in agreement and collected their purses to leave.

* * *

The next thing that Christian knew, he was at a table in a casino lobby. The game was blackjack and he was doing pretty good for not having a clear head. Normally, Christian had the ability to count cards, which he believed gave him an unfair advantage and usually he avoided participating for that reason, but since he still had several drinks in him it was turning out to be a pretty even playing field.

Elliot, always the charmer, was chatting with a few cocktail waitresses, so Christian returned his attention to the game. He knew that it was unlikely that Elliot would wind up sleeping with either of the girls since he was with Kate, but that didn't mean that he had to watch his brother flirt shamelessly.

One of the girls looked over at Christian and blushed. It had been happening all night and Christian could not prevent himself from rolling his eyes. This time tomorrow he would have a gold band on his hand and maybe then the women of the world would get a clue and leave him alone.

Another round won, Christian held up his hand, indicating that he was finished playing. He gather his chips and gave Elliot a nod to follow him back to the bar. Elliot said goodbye to his new friends and caught up with Christian.

"Thirsty already? You just started sobering up." Elliot gave him a teasing look and reached for his back pocket. "You really should answer some of your calls. You dropped this a while ago and it has been going crazy."

Elliot turned to visit the restroom and Christian settled back into his seat and shoved the phone in his pocket. He did not want to have to deal with Ana whinning about being left in the room or one of his staff giving him grief about leaving her to their devices. _Why can't people just follow orders?_

He motioned for a few whiskeys from the bartender and was served instantly. He took both double shots down without wincing and called for two others. By the time Elliot had returned, Christian was feeling pretty good again.

"I see you were enjoying yourself," Elliot nodded to the empty glasses and order a few drinks of his own. The bar was starting to get less crowded as couples retreated back to their rooms and the gamblers hit the tables again. After a long pause, Elliot spoke. "So, you want to tell me what is eating you? You never drink hard alcohol and here you are, several drinks into the night."

Christian smiled at the question, his mind fuzzy enough to not mind the intrusion into his personal life. "Ana. Do you want the long story or the short story?"

"It looks like you could do with telling the long story," Elliot said, not taking his eyes off of Christian.

"Trick question, they are really the same length." Christian threw back another shot before continuing in a more somber tone. "She is cheating on me."

It was the first time he had said it out loud and even in his drunken state it ripped his heart out. Elliot remained silent for a minute. "I know," he responded quietly.

Christian was floored. "How would you know?" he asked sharply.

Elliot scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze. "The week that you and Ana were split up, Ethan was there for her. He took her out, made her laugh, just acted like a good friend. Kate was happy that Ana wasn't just sitting at home rotting, so I took it as a good thing, too. Then the morning that Ethan left for California, Kate and I woke up to find them alone in the living room. I guess that they had been there all night and at first it didn't seem that weird to me, but then Kate showed me these pictures that someone had left in her dresser. They were pictures of the two of them in... compromising situations. I wasn't sure how much you knew, but I was going to tell you tonight anyway so that you wouldn't get married without knowing."

Elliot looked up to meet Christian's stare, as though trying to determine how Christian taking the news. Instead of lashing out, Christian's Adam's apple bobbed and he closed his eyes. Elliot stiffened. He had never seen Christian cry before.

"I still love her, Elliot. It doesn't matter who she has been with, I still want her to be my wife."


	24. Chapter 24

Ana stumbled out of the bar and onto the sidewalk. She and Mia had had a few too many to drink, but Kate, still trying to redeem herself, had offered to sip on a diet coke and keep an eye out for Christian while they checked out the sights of Las Vegas. So far, he had not been to any of the casinos they had visited.

The drinking had not been the best idea. Seeing as how Christian had intended for her to stay with Sawyer Ana knew she would be gambling with his twitching palm if they did catch up with him. _Damn Mia and her persuasive ways._ Ana frowned as she remembered how many drinks she had consumed. For some reason, she felt less drunk than the night with Ethan. Maybe she was finally building up her tolerance and becoming less of a lightweight.

Beside her, Kate sighed. "Maybe we should go back to Mia's room. We can't keep you out all night, what with the wedding being tomorrow. I don't think even you could pull off a good hung over bride, Ana."

Mia shook her head enthusiastically at the suggestion. "That is exactly why we need to stay out. Come six tonight, Ana is going to be married to boring Christian who will never let her out like this again. Come on and let's hit up some of these shops!"

Kate glanced at Ana, obviously balancing the draw of shopping in Vegas with her friend's loathe of making clothing purchases. Ana shrugged, establishing her reluctant consent and the three of them began walking towards their next destination.

It was Ana's turn to sigh. It was worse than she would have thought. They were going to take her purse shopping, as though each of them did not have a lifetime supply of purses and wallets at home. Wanting to be a good sport, Ana forced a smile and followed her bridesmaids inside.

After admiring a few items, Kate frowned and reached for her phone. When she looked at the screen her face turned a sick color of white. _God, what is it now?_

Ana held her breath, hoping that Christian had sent the text. Kate looked up and met her eye before closing the distance between them. "Mia, I am taking Ana outside to get some air," she called from across the room. Mia was too busy scrutinizing a leather handbag to do anything but nod in response.

"What is it, Kate?" Ana could tell that her otherwise confident friend was riled. Seeing it happen twice in the same night was like getting struck by two lightning bolts back to back.

"Um... okay don't kill me but this whole thing just got worse." Kate had enough sense to look ashamed, but Ana just wanted answers. She gestured for Kate to continue. "I never told Ethan about the pictures, but I thought that he should know that you were getting married in Vegas, since, you know, you guys were a thing." She gulped. "Or so I thought..."

Ana went numb. "What are you saying, Kate?"

"What I am saying is that I invited him to your wedding since he was driving back to Washington and this wasn't too out-of-the-way. I thought if Christian was forcing you to get married maybe Ethan could help you out of it. After all, he was the only one who could help you after the break up."

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ "Kate, call him and tell him not to come right now. If Christian were to see him before we can talk I don't know what would happen." If Christian had been drinking, there was no telling what would go down.

Kate bit her lip. "Ana, he is already here. He texted me that he just checked into his hotel room and that he is going to take a shower before he goes out. What do you want me to do?"

Ana groaned. _Could this night get any worse? _She hadn't planned on telling Ethan about the misunderstanding because he would never let her live it down. Plus, if Kate still had the pictures he would insist on seeing them. Talk about an embarrassing situation.

Suddenly, Ana had an idea. "Kate text him and find out what room he is in. We can meet him there and keep him from going out tonight. Plus, security doesn't know where he is staying, or that he is even in Las Vegas, so we won't have to worry about them." If security got a hold of them, they would have to go back to Christian's room and then Ethan would be wandering the streets of the city unaware.

Kate pondered the idea and slowly nodded before typing the text to Ethan. Once they got the room number, Ana and Kate went in to find Mia. The girl was surrounded by sales people who obviously worked on commission and could smell a good client a mile away.

With a minimal amount of protest, they were able to drag Mia away from the counter and fill her in on what was happening. Not surprisingly, she was all for preventing Ethan from coming in contact with Christian. She had grown up with the Control Freak and knew more about his fighting days than any of them.

Thanks to Kate, Ethan had booked a room in the same hotel, so walking in was nothing short of a panic attack. Ana thought she saw Taylor a few times, but it turned out just to be upper level casino security. Amazingly, they made it to Ethan's floor without anyone being the wiser.

* * *

The night out with Elliot made Christian feel a little better. Getting to spend time with his brother was important and he should find more time to do it. The booze had helped a little too, so instead of heading back to Elliot's hotel room like he had planned, Christian decided that he needed to go back and see Ana.

Forcing her to stay in the hotel with Sawyer had been stupid. As much as he hated to admit it, if he would have let her go out with Kate and Mia it was unlikely that she would have acted out. Kate had a good head on her shoulders, though he would never give her credit for it out loud.

He made it back to the room at around 9 am, fully anticipating to wake Ana up with a kiss and maybe some wedding morning sex. He inserted his key card and opened the door to find Sawyer and Taylor on their phones. He frowned at the papers lying around and the open laptops.

"What is going on in here?" he stepped over the printer that was putting through a fax.

Sawyer looked at Taylor to respond. "Mr. Grey, we have been trying to call you all night. There have been several unanticipated developments." He paused, so Christian scowled until he continued. "Mr. Kavanagh left California last night and has been traced by the team to this hotel. We are currently trying to determine which room he is in."

Christian's blood went cold. _The fucker is here?_ The look of Jason's face said there was more to be told. "Ms. Steele alluded Sawyer last night. She turned off her phone, but we sent men down to Ms. Kavanagh's room and Ms. Grey's room and there was no sign of her. She called me from Ms. Grey's phone at around midnight, but we were unable to get an exact location on her cellular since you do not have it wired."

Christian slammed his fist onto the nearest table, causing it to dent and buckle. "Sir, when I spoke to Ana, she said that she would meet you at the ceremony at six tonight. She still wants to go through with the wedding, though she did ask if you intended to. I assured her that you did."

_I told her that I would always love her. Why does she keep doubting me?_ It was true; even though that fucker was in town, all he wanted to do was throw Ana over his shoulders and march her to the chapel. Make no mistake, he _would_ punish her for her antics, for the pain she was causing him, but he still wanted her.

"Find out what room he is in and I will pay him a visit. Send the rest of the team out to search for Ana." Christian ran his hand through his hair and felt his hand twitch with impatience. Besides this movement the room was still. Taylor quietly gave the orders over his phone and watched his email for an update about Ethan's room.

He hung up and glanced at Christian. "Sir, he is in room 487."

That was all the information Christian needed. He exited as quickly as he came, this time with Taylor hot on his trail. He considered taking the stairs to help with his anxiety, but admitted to himself that the elevator would be quicker, given they were staying in the penthouse of the hotel.

The doors opened and both men entered in a hurry. Thankfully, within minutes they were on the fourth floor. Christian ran down the hallway and stopped in front of room 487. He thought about trying to break in, but decided against it given the fact that it was likely reinforced with steel.

He gave several solid bangs on the barrier, effectively alerting his presence to everyone in the surrounding rooms. After a minute, he heard Ana's voice on the other side. "Who is it?"

Christian saw red. "Ana, open the God damned door or I am going do it!"

He heard her speaking to someone and then the lock clicked. Christian slammed against the door, creating a wide means of entrance for himself and Jason. Christian was in a different state of mind. All he would think about was killing Ethan, to make him pay for what he had done. He scanned the room and relaxed only a fraction when Ethan was nowhere in sight.

Instead, Mia and Kate stood next to the bed and Ana remained by the door, eyes wide. "Where is he?" Christian rumbled at her.

Ana took a small breath. "Christian, we need to talk. Don't get too worked up until you know what is going on."

That tipped Christian back into a rage. "Until I know what? That you were fucking Ethan on our wedding day? Jesus, this is the reason you were supposed to stay in the room." Christian slammed the door shut and glared down at her, not caring that Mia and Kate were protesting his angry display of force. The only thing he cared about stood in front of him.

"I was willing to do it, Ana. I can keep you under security so you won't be tempted to cheat again. I'll forgive what happened before. If that is what it takes I will do it, but how could you be with him today?" His gut was twisting. Suddenly, he heard the shower turn off. He had not realised that it was running until then.

"Is he fucking in here?" Not waiting for an answer, Christian bolted for the bathroom door, failing to make contact with it just as Ethan stepped out, drying off his hair with a towel.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Apparently, Christian's voice had reached past the four walls of the living area. Christian made a growling noise and punched Ethan in the stomach. He beat him to the ground before Ethan had a chance to react.

* * *

Ana screamed and rushed to pull Christian off of Ethan, but Taylor beat her to it. Ethan was in pretty good shape and, under normal circumstances, could have likely given Christian a run for his money, but he had been taken by complete surprise.

Taylor managed to pin Christian to the wall, but it did not stop him from continuing to threaten Kate's bother. The look in his eyes spoke volumes for what he thought had been going on. _How did I let this happen?_

Ana tentatively walked up to Christian. She watched as his eyes darted from her to Ethan, who was slowly getting up with the help of Kate and Mia. She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Christian, there is nothing going on between me and Ethan, period. We have only ever been friends. The pictures were taken during the week that we were broken up, but even then we were just friends."

Christian narrowed his eyes at her. "One of them was of the night you told me he was going to be gone. That was the only way I'd let you stay at that fucking apartment and you know it," he spat.

Ana shook her head. "I thought he was going to be gone, but he came back early. All we did was watch a movie and play cards. I'll admit some of the photos look bad, but the worst ones were of the morning at the fraternity house. If you had doubts then, you should have asked me about it."

Ethan groaned from the bed. "This is about the fraternity house? Fuck, Christian, I told you nothing happened." Seeing Ethan scowl was a first, but if anyone had a reason to be mad it was him. Ana gave him a sympathetic look before turning back to Christian.

Taylor had released him, so Christian now stood on his own. For once, he seemed to be at a loss for words. It was Ana's turn to scowl at him. "How could you think that I would cheat on you? You should know by now how much I love you."

Christian gave her a sheepish look and shrugged. "Sorry," he said.

"Well, sorry is not going to help Ethan. We need to take him to get checked out."

Taylor cleared his throat. "I have already called the paramedics and they are on their way." The look he gave Ana was pure gold. Obviously, Christian was not the only one who suspected her of infidelity.

"Um... sorry, Ethan," Christian muttered. Ethan rolled his eyes before laughing and then wincing.

"Congratulations. If I don't make it to the wedding. I hope you understand." He attempted to stand up, but decided not to. "For your gift I am getting you marriage counseling to work on communication because you guys are this close to ending up on Jerry Springer."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Ethan you can't be that hurt if you are back to making awful jokes."

Christian took a step forward and tilted Ana's chin so that their eyes met. "What do you say, baby? Do you want more adventures like this with me?"

"Forever," she said. "Only minus the last half hour. Let's never do this again." The room resounded with agreement.

Christian laughed and kissed her. "Then I guess we have a wedding to prepare for."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There were a few people who wanted to see this cheating issue resolved and I agree that it needed to happen in this chapter, although with Ana and Christian there is always some kind of drama, so more conflict is to come (along with some sweet moments). Please let me know if you liked it and I hope to update soon.**


	25. Chapter 25

An ambulance and medic team arrived promptly to check Ethan out. Despite their determination that he likely only had a few bruises and no serious injuries, Christian had insisted on having him brought to the emergency room. Mia and Kate had decided to meet him at the hospital and give him a ride back to the hotel after he had been cleared.

Ana had to smile as she thought about how concerned Mia had been over Ethan. She had suspected that her future sister-in-law had been harboring a crush for him, but she would have to wait to ask about it until they were alone, whenever that would be.

Christian had dismissed Taylor so that he could refocus the security team on Seattle. In the back of Ana's mind, she knew that she would have to deal with the break in and the planted pictures when she returned home. Plus, now there was the issue about her email being hacked. Thankful for the break from life, she was setting her mind to enjoying the day with her friends and Christian.

After everyone else had left, it was just the two of them in the hotel room. Christian raised his eyebrows, asking the silent question and Ana smiled at him sweetly. "Do you really want to have sex in Ethan's room today, Mr. Grey?"

Christian's lips twitched and he shook his head, though the look in his eye said that he wouldn't mind that much. She took a step towards him. "You should know that I am still mad at you for thinking that I would cheat with Ethan."

He hesitated before answering. "Okay."

"You know, you really need to make this up to Ethan, too."

Christian nodded. "I am planning on paying for his master's program."

Ana's eyes widened. _Whoa._ "I think that is a great idea, but you can't just pay your way out of screwing up. Think of something else to make it up to him, too." For once, Christian did not argue the point. Instead, he took her by the hand and led her into the hallway.

Together, they began walking back to the elevator. "Isn't it bad luck to see each other on the wedding day?" Ana asked.

"I think that waiting to talk would have been worse, given the situation. Besides, I haven't seen your dress yet," Christian responded, giving her nudge with his elbow.

Ana gasped. _Lord above, I have a wedding dress waiting for me._ "Who picked it out then? If it was Taylor I want footage of that shopping trip."

Laughing, Christian shook his head. "Kate did it. I figured that she would know what you like."

The elevator doors opened and Christian walked inside and turned around. Instead of following him in, Ana jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his middle. "I love you so much. Thank you for doing this for us." Christian groaned in frustration. He wanted to take her so badly, right there in the elevator.

She kissed him deeply and he moved so that he back was pressing against the wall. He freed one hand and ran it though her hair. "I don't think I can wait until tonight, Ana."

She pulled away to look him in the eye. This beautiful man was hers forever and her body was screaming for him. "Consider this delayed gratification, Mr. Grey."

* * *

Ana rushed around the hotel room, trying to decide what needed to be done. She had kicked Christian out so that she could get ready, but now that he was gone she felt at a loss. She looked at the clock above the dining room table. _How is it already after noon?_

She felt like crying. Her dress was still in a bag in the closet, her hair was a mess, she needed to shave and she had no idea where Kate and Mia were because no one was answering their phone. Christian made it clear that she was not to be late and all she could think about was trying to make this the perfect day for them, despite how it had started.

There was a light knock at the door and Ana leaped up to answer it. "Mom!"

There in the doorway stood her mother, smiling from ear to ear. The women embraced and Ana felt the tears start to come. "Shhh, baby, what is it? This is a happy day," her mother cooed.

"There is just too much to do, Mom. I don't know where to start."

Her mother pulled away and held her face in her hands. "That is exactly why I am here for you. After three marriages, I consider myself an expert at these things."

Ana suppressed a giggle and came in for another hug. "I am so glad you made it."

"It was my first time flying first class. That fiance of yours sure knows how to treat in-laws." Her mom looked past her to the make up and curling iron on the counter and frowned. "Didn't Christian tell you that he sent for someone to help you get ready? I was expecting them to be here already."

As if on cue, another knock sounded. Since the door remained open, Ana just signaled for the glamorous, stern-looking woman to enter. She assumed that this was the miracle worker her mom was referring to. _For someone who does not like secrets, Christian sure does like to dish them out._

The woman scanned the room before speaking in an authoritative voice. "Okay, we have a lot to do, so let's get started." She dragged in a huge case of supplies and began unpacking various styling items.

"Um... I need to shower, so I am going to be right back," Ana said, a little unsure of how the uptight woman would respond.

"If you must, but then I need to begin working. The wedding is five hours away and you still need to see the photographer and I believe the caterer wanted to go over a few things with you. Mr. Grey has most things in place, but he deferred to your final word of approval."

Ana flushed with pleasure at the remark. _Christian trusts me to make decisions too. At least sometimes. _"I'll be quick, then." She grabbed her phone and hurried off to the master bedroom. Quickly, she stripped down and ran the hot water, shivering at the contact because it made the rest of her body cold.

Sparing only a minute, she checked to see if Mia or Kate had called. Ana frowned at the number for work. She had assumed that Christian had informed her the company that she would not be coming in. Hesitating for only a minute, she called the number back.

Jack answered on the second ring; apparently, he had called her on his direct line. "Jack, here."

Ana cleared her throat. "Jack, I am sorry I missed your call. Is there something that I can help you with?"

The mood turned to ice. "Well, Ana, since you are an employee here, you can help me by showing up to work or at least calling if you are going to be out," he hissed. Ana turned bright red at the remark, comforted only by the fact that he could not see her reaction.

"Sir, I am sorry if there was confusion about my absence. I very sorry if my not being there has caused you an inconvenience," she rushed to apologize. "Something has come up and I thought that the company had been notified that I would not be coming in."

Ana could pictured her boss sneering in his usual manner. "Well, you have been absent for illnesses or emergencies since you were hired here, Ana. If you want to keep your job you had better be ready to make it up to me when you get back." After saying his peace, Jack promptly hung up.

Unsure of what to do, Ana placed the phone back on the counter and took a good look in the mirror. Everything that he had accused her of had been correct. They had given her a job and now that she was sleeping with the boss she was getting special treatment. Was this how she wanted her career to turn out? How she wanted her life to be?

She stepped into the shower and began washing away the memories of night before. No amount of scrubbing would shake the guilt of taking advantage of her coworkers and her boss. It was likely that everyone else was having to work harder just so she and Christian could be spontaneous.

As she turned off the water, she began to formulate a plan. It would only take her laptop and a few minutes alone. Hopefully, she would be able to get it done before the Nazi-stylist in the living room beckoned for her.

* * *

The caterer and the photographer both came and went with their questions, each making Ana promise that they would be called when the bridal party reached the Bellagio. Ana had noted with pleasure that Christian requested their favorite champagne and oysters for the appetizer. She was marrying a sentimental man, that was for sure.

Mia and Kate arrived just as Ana was finishing with her makeup. It felt as though she had a whole layer of gunk on her skin, but when she looked in the mirror she was surprised to find how attractive it made her look. Her cheeks were pink, but not raging and her eyes were slightly smoky, but not raccoon-like. Her hair was styled in soft curls and seemed to illuminate with the highlights that had been added.

Throughly satisfied with with her finished product, the artist moved on to work with her bridesmaids.

"Sorry we missed your calls, Ana. We had to turn our phones off in the emergency room," Mia said as she leaned back to get her hair washed.

Ana's mom looked up at her, alarmed. "Who was in the hospital?"

Trying to defuse the situation, Ana downplayed the events of the morning. "Ethan, Kate's brother, was in an accident this morning, but he it sounded like her was going to be okay from what I heard. Did they discharge him?"

Kate and Mia both nodded enthusiastically, Mia with a dreamy look in her eye. Yep, there was defiantly something going on there.

"He is always getting into some kind of trouble," Kate muttered. Apparently, she had recovered from the shock of the morning rapidly and Ana was thankful that she had not pointed the blame at Christian. Given the fact that Christian likely did not know that Kate had sent him the pictures of her and Ethan, maybe she was laying the foundation towards some kind of a truce.

"Ana, I am going to get my dressed and then I will help you with your gown." Ana was thankful that her mom was easily distracted and had not pressed the issue with Ethan.

Ana nodded and hoped down from the bar stool to retrieve her dress out of the closet. When she unzipped the bag her breath caught in her throat. _It is perfect._ The lines of fabric were clean and not too frilly, but the material and the lace on the train were intricate. The veil was sheer, but soft and light.

Slowly she laid it on the bed and ran back to the living room to give Kate a hug. The stylist seemed slightly errked at having Kate accosted by Ana, but she did not complain.

"The dress is wonderful. You are wonderful. Thank you for coming to Vegas for me."

Kate hugged her back, careful not to upset her hair in the process. "If this is what you want, I am here for you."

Ana had to laugh at the word choice. Some things about Kate may never change and she hoped they never would. Her mother reappeared out of the spare bedroom, looking fabulous in a deep purple dress with gold heels. "Come on, baby, let's get to work on getting you dressed."

An hour later, Ana and her bridesmaids were almost ready to go. The wedding gown looked even more spectacular on her because it hugged all of the right places and gave the impression that she had more substantial curves than she actually did. Kate had frowned at the slenderness of her form while they were securing the bodice.

"Have you lost weight, Ana?"

Ana looked down at her form and had to admit to herself that she had lost a little heft. "I think it is because of all the craziness and the fact that I haven't been feeling so well."

It was Mia's turn to frown. "Are you sick?"

Ana shook her head. "No, I feel fine now, I was just feeling nauseous earlier."

This piece of news perked up her mother's ears. "Ana, I wasn't going to ask this, but is there any way you could be, you know... with child?"

"I am not pregnant," Ana scowled, though the question was not unexpected given how quickly the wedding had been planned. "I got the shot in Seattle less than two months ago."

Satisfied with the bodice and Ana's answer, the women stepped back to appraise their handiwork. Ana caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and smiled. Christian was going to love it.

* * *

The chapel was stunning. The photographer had told her earlier that Christian had completely redecorated for the event, but this was more than she had anticipated. Ana stood speechless for several moments just taking in all of the beauty. Even though it was feminine and intimate, the small touches reminded her of Christian. Everything else was likely a product of Mia's talent.

Once the press had heard about the wedding there had been a small mob forming out front. Getting through the crowd had been a little difficult but now that they were inside it was just an intimate group. Once everyone started to arrive Kate had forced her into the small waiting area that overlooked the hallway where everyone had gathered. She had insisted that Ana remain there until the ceremony, just in case Christian were to arrive unannounced.

Ray had showed just after 5 and had cleaned up very nicely. Ana watched from afar as her mother gazed at him and he at her. Husband number four had been unable to attend and it was obvious that the two of them were reminiscing about old times. Grace and Carrick were discussing a piece of artwork with Christian's grandparents.

Ethan had been discharged in time to go back to his room and get dressed, so he was also present. Ana felt her heart swell because it was likely that Christian had sent the tux for Ethan to wear; his tie matched her bridesmaid's dresses. It was also encouraging to see Ethan talking to Mia. With any luck, this group would be gathering for more weddings in the future.

Kate let out a huff next to her. "Where are the guys?"

Ana frowned; she had assumed that Christian had gone back to Elliot and Kate's room to get ready, but truthfully she had no idea where he was. The clock on the wall said ten minutes until six. _How close do you want to cut this, Grey?_

As if on que, Christian and Elliot appeared through the front doors. Ana melted at the sight of him in his tux. "Ana, come on, you need to be at the top of the stairs and walk down and through the chapel doors with Ray when you hear the wedding march, okay?"

Ana nodded, glad for the instruction. She had not thought about the part that she was going to play until now. She watched as Kate, Mia and Ray took their places in front of the door and everyone else was ushered inside. Before too long, the music began playing and she walked down to meet Ray.

"Annie, you look beautiful," he whispered to her, unshed tears in his eyes.

"Thank you for being here for me, Dad. I love you."

She gave his arm a squeeze and together they entered the chapel. Ana's eyes were instantly drawn to Christian. She could tell by the look on his face that he loved her dress. She even saw him send an appreciative glance toward Kate for picking out the garment.

It was not until then that she noticed that Ethan was standing next Elliot. _Christian made him a groomsman. _ She was close to crying at the sweet gesture of reconciliation. She knew that Mia must have been thrilled.

When she reached Christian Ray shook his hand and gave her a hug before sitting down next to her mom. Ana held her breath; this was really happening.

* * *

**Thank you everyone for your reviews! You guys make it so much fun to write!**


	26. Update

Hey all of you amazing people!

I am really sorry about the lack of updates. Finals are coming up from me and they are worth 90% of my grade (plus the curve only allows for 10% of students to get an A, 15% of students to get a B, ect.), so I have been studying my booty off.

The story is not over. I have several other developments with Ana and Christian in this alternate situation that I want to see through and I really appreciate everyone who has stuck with me for the first 26 chapters. This is my first fanfic and the positive reviewers and followers are really gratifying.

I am hoping to post again tonight and then over the weekend. Trying to come up with a more regular schedule for those of you who enjoy the story and want more chapters.

Thanks,

JazzHands22


	27. Chapter 27

When Ana took Christian's hand the music stopped and the guests settled into their seats again. Ana felt her heart beating quickly and could almost hear the rhythm it was making. She and Christian remained facing each other as the ceremony began.

The wedding officiate started off by speaking about the responsibilities and privileges of marriage, but Ana's eyes were locked on Christian. He was smiling at her, making her feel like she was the luckiest girl around.

When it came time for the vows, Ana tried hard to concentrate on the exact words Christian was agreeing to, knowing that she would want to recall them in the years to come. She was slightly put off about not bring consulted about the vows. She had always thought that it was romantic when couples wrote their own, but it would be unreasonable to stop the ceremony to voice this opinion now.

"Christian, do you promise to love Ana? Do you promise to keep her in sickness and in health, to protect and comfort her and to place her above all others in your life for as long as you both shall live?" The officiate looked at Christian expectantly, but he did not have to wait long for an answer.

"I do," Christian replied as he gave her hand a squeeze. Ana tried hard not to frown. _Promise to protect me? If I didn't know better, I would think that the chapel's standard vows had been altered for Mr. Grey._

Pleased with Christian's response, all eyes now turned to Ana. "Anastasia, do you promise to love Christian? Do you promise to keep him in sickness and in health, to comfort and obey him and to place him above all others for as long as you both shall live?"

_Obey? What was this, 1910?_ Ana noticed that the officiate glanced at Christian momentarily when it had come to the obeying part; obviously, she was not the only one caught off guard with the antiquated terminology.

Ana knew that this was no mistake, that it was just another ploy from Christian to get her to relinquish control. Her stomach flipped-flopped and she mustered up all of her courage before answering. Ana cleared her throat. "I don't."

The room was silent. Christian looked at her, horrified. "Christian, I promise that I will love and comfort you until I die. I will make our marriage my priority and I will take your feelings into consideration when I make my decisions."

The whole room chuckle. The tension eased considerably, and Ana could hear Kate cheer quietly beside her. Christian narrowed his eyes, obviously displeased that she had amended his version of the wedding vows. Ana arched her eyebrow. "Do you accept my terms, Mr. Grey?"

Christian's mouth twitched into a quick smile before he grabbed her and sealed their marriage with a kiss. Taking his action as acceptance, the officiate proclaimed them husband and wife.

Everyone cheered and since it was a small wedding, the family and friends rushed to the altar to congratulate the new couple. Christian finally released her and moved his hand to the small of her back. "Everyone, there is a reception waiting for us upstairs in a private room. Please join us there."

After making his announcement, Christian gently pulled her away from the crowd and out the side door of the chapel. The door led to a small room that contained only a bench and a full length mirror. There was no other way in or out. _What could this room possibly be used for?_

Christian pulled her close to him once more. "Why do you have to defy me, Anastasia? Whether or not you say the word obey means little to me because you should know by now that I will expect your obedience regardless." He began feasting on her neck.

Ana pushed him away from her, breaking the contact and feeling the loss of it instantly, but she was determined to have her say. "Hold on, Grey. We had a deal and getting married only solidifies our roles. We make decisions together from now on."

A low growl came from the inside of his throat. "Do you think this is a game, Ana? We agreed before that I would have a say in things that involve your safety, and that arrangement will stand."

He moved closer to her, filling in the gap that she had made. Slowly, she nodded. "Fine, but that means I get input when something regards your safety."

This caused Christian to throw his head back in laughter, destroying the menacing persona that he had created by dragging her away from their wedding party. "Do you think that I need protection?" he asked, clearly amused by her turning the tables on him.

"I think that will be up for me to decide on a case by case basis, Mr. Grey. Of course, in order for me to make a clear determination about that appropriateness of your decisions, I will require full disclosure of… well, everything."

Her argument looked like it had knocked the air out of Christian. Apparently, he had not anticipated her employment of his own requirements against him. "Fair point, well made, Ana Grey."

He pulled her into his arms once more and kissed her thoroughly. "I love the way your name sounds with mine," he muttered. Ana couldn't agree more and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving Christian back just as much as she received.

* * *

The reception room was decorated as elaborately as the chapel. The wedding colors, a deep blue with hints of silver, played throughout. Christian was pleased with how perfectly his demands had been met. Every attention to detail had been made and he knew that a large tip would be in order for the staff involved.

It had taken every ounce of his self control not to have Ana in the backroom, but he was determined to have their first time as husband and wife be slow and romantic, for her more than for him. Ana may like rough sex to an extent, but Christian was looking forward to giving her all of her hearts and flowers over the course of the honeymoon.

Looking at the blushing bride by his side, his mind begun to wander to the pending consummation of their marriage. Thankfully, his thoughts were interrupted by Elliot making his toast.

"To the best little brother I've got and the best girl he has ever met, let alone dated," Elliot had stood and was now raising his glass in the air. "Seriously, Christian, treat her right because we all know she is way out of your league."

Everyone drank to that and Christian breathed a sigh of relief: at least Elliot had said something true and not incredibly awkward. Just as Elliot took his seat, Kate stood up next to Ana.

"I think that everyone here knows that Christian and I will likely have to agree to disagree for the rest of our lives." The entire Grey family and Ethan chuckled, knowing first hand that this was undisputable. "But there is one thing that we agree on: Ana deserves the very best. So for my toast, I will congratulate the couple and remind the younger Mr. Grey that the maid-of-honor position will remain filled by me for the duration of this marriage."

Kate looked Christian dead in the eye before raising her glass and sipping the champagne. Christin narrowed his eyes at her statement, but refrained from responding.

The meal was delicious and the caterer had followed the instructions to the letter. Christian felt Ana sneaking glances at him while she devoured the oysters. He gave her knee a squeeze, but kept his eye line unaltered and continued his conversation with his father, knowing that if he looked over at her he would be dragging her to the nearest closet for a romp.

After the meal and the cake, Christian determined that he should be allowed to whisk his bride away. He had decided to skip all of the traditions involving the garter, the bouquet and the dancing. With such a small crowd, it had seemed pointless and he had planned on having a larger reception when they returned to Seattle.

"Ana, we should go," he whispered to his bride as she conversed with his mother. She gave him an eager look, not at all what he was expecting. From the way she was socializing, he had thought that he was going to have to drag her away. His Ana was always wonderfully unexpected.

After she excused herself from the conversation, she stood and joined him. Christian snaked his arm around her waist and cleared his throat. "Everyone, thank you for coming. We will be departing now, but we will be seeing everyone again in a few weeks."

He caught the startled look on Ana's face at his announcement. _Shit, did she think that they were going straight back to Seattle? She is concerned about her job, but did she seriously believe that I would not be giving her a proper honeymoon?_

Ana's mother came forward first and gave them both a hug. She whispered something to Ana that Christian could not hear. Soon everyone followed in her wake. After the final goodbyes, Christian scooped her up in his arms. Ana let out a sound of surprise.

"Just carrying you over the threshold, Baby." Ana laughed and Mia let out a sniff at the gesture, obviously more touched by his actions than Ana by far. Christian rolled his eyes, which earned a laugh from Elliot and Ethan.

He stepped into the elevator and refused to let her down. Ana began protesting as soon as the doors closed behind them.

"Christian, I can walk. And I have already been to our room, so this is just silly." She squirmed a little, but she had to know that it was in vain; he was literally twice her size.

"That might matter if we were going back to the hotel room, but I have other plans for us Mrs. Grey."

She gave him another nudge before settling into his hold. "What, did you get them to create a Red Room of Pain for you here, too? I know that you had the chapel and reception decorated and I think that you are wonderful for it, but I do not want-"

Christian stiffened at her mention of the playroom, cutting her off before she could continue. "Ana, there is no room of pain here, okay? You are the most infuriating-"

Ana stuck out her lip and interrupted him right back. "Well, if that is not where we are going, then what is going on?"

Christian laughed at her ploy for information. "You really thought I would fall for that, Ana? This is going to be a surprise and none of your accusations are going to change that, my dear."

Ana looked back at him with a guilty smile. Yes, sharing his life with her was going to be fun and challenging.

* * *

**Thanks everyone for the well-wishing about my looming finals. They are not until December, but I've got a lot of info to retain, so it has spilled into other aspects of my life. You guys are the best and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	28. Chapter 28

Ana could not stop herself from frowning when they reached the roof and she saw the helicopter. Of course she wanted to get away with Christian to somewhere amazing, but how could she ever hold down a job when their lives were so carefree? _Maybe he wants you to get fired. He has already said that he would rather you didn't work..._

Ana refused to follow that train of thought. Christian had given her no reason to question his motives; he just wanted to provide an amazing for her. Still, something had to change if she was to remain employed.

Christian was regarding her cautiously, displeased with her reaction to the helicopter. "What is wrong, Ana?" he sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Um... I need to be at work this week. My boss is disappointed in my absences and I don't blame him. I have been gone more days than not since working there and this is not fair to them."

"Well, I am your boss's boss's boss and I say that you can go. That should satisfy that fucker Hyde," he smirked, before turning serious. "Did he have the audacity to complain to you while you were here? If so, I'm going to fire-"

Ana held up her hand. "This is not about him, Christian. It is about me wanting to do my job, even though my job is small compared to what you do. It makes me feel good about myself. I would never make you choose between me and your job, you know."

Christian grumbled something incomprehensible and Ana gave him a small nudge with her arm. "I want to take an amazing honeymoon with you, too. I just want to do it during vacation time, when it is convenient for me to be gone. I don't want to put anyone out."

Seeing the earnestness on her face must have given Christian a change of heart, although it was reluctant none the less. "Okay, Baby. This trip is meant to make us both happy and if you need to spend a week at work before we take it, fine," he groaned. "But I mean it, one week and that is it. You will have to come with me, like it or not."

He gave Ana his sternest look and she giggled before biting her lip. His eyes darkened as he travelled down to her mouth. "But if you want to go home so soon, I am afraid that I may have to book our room for one more night. I will not be able to fly us back without having you."

Now that was a plan Ana was willing to agree to. Giddily, she grabbed Christian by the hand and followed him back inside, fully prepared to perform her wifely duties.

* * *

Ana looked out over the city as they reached the outskirts of Seattle. The night before had been wonderful and the shower that morning hadn't been too bad either. Idly, she began wondering if all married sex was that hot. Probably not, considering the divorce rate.

Once again, she checked the email on her blackberry. She knew that it wasn't likely that Fox Publishing would have gotten back to her already, but she could hope. Working for SIP was great, but Jack was getting too close and unprofessional for her taste. Plus, there was also the issue about her email being hacked. It seemed like finding a fresh start might be a better idea than waiting to get fired, even if her husband was the boss's boss's boss.

She had sent her résumé the morning of the wedding, after she had gotten the call from Jack. She had actually sent it out to a few publishing companies in the surrounding cities, but her hopes were on Fox. The only problem was going to be keeping the secret from Christian long enough to get hired somewhere and finding a way from preventing him from buying the company.

Fox Publishing was notable for several reasons. Like Grey Corp., it was privately held and quite successful. According to the people at SIP, the owner was a woman who loved her company. Ana was counting on the unlikelihood that she loved it enough to turn down Christian's offers if she couldn't persuade him not to try to buy it out.

"What is my new wife thinking about?" Ana snapped back to reality when she realized that she had been quiet for too long.

She shrugged. "Nothing important. Just happy to be married and to be home."

Her answer seemed to satisfy Christian and they flew the short distance home in silence. Ana never thought that she would be used to landing in a helicopter, but even that was becoming almost routine now.

When they reached the apartment, Ana was not sure what to do with herself. All of a sudden, half of this was hers. What the hell had she gotten herself into? She felt her insides clench at the smell coming from the kitchen.

"Ana? You don't look so good, Baby. Do you need to sit down?" Christian was frowning at her. She tried to respond, but stopped and instead bolted for the nearest restroom.

Clutching the toilet, she empties her stomach until she began dry heaving. Mrs. Jones was the best cook that she knew; why would her cooking make her this sick?

Christian held her hair back for her until she was done. When she finally stood again, her legs were shaky and her breathing uneven. All she wanted was to curl up in bed and sleep the day away. That, and brush her teeth.

"How long have you been feeling sick, Ana?" One look at his face let her know that he was not going to let this go. She shrugged and tried to scoot past him, but he grabbed her arm and enveloped her in a hug.

"Tell me, Baby. This is about health, remember?"

Ana laughed weakly, amused that he would reference their agreement right then. Yes, her Fifty was always going to be a man of contracts at heart. "I don't think I ever really got better from being sick," she confessed. "I mean, one minute I feel fine and the next, I'm puking my guts out."

Frowning, Christian sighed. "This is why you need to tell me these things, Ana. I am going to call Dr. Greene and you should go to bed and lay down."

"Please don't call her, Christian. It's likely just a cold and she has got to be very busy." Christian held up his hand and Ana knew that there would be no worming her way out of this one. Safety was next to Godliness with Christian and there would be no room to negotiate a doctor's visit away. She should feel lucky that he had not rushed her to the emergency room. _Fine, let him get people all worked up for nothing. I am going to bed._

Ana stumbled past him without further argument and began shedding her clothes as soon as she closed their bedroom door. She snuggled under the sheets and reached for the manuscript on her bedside table. It appeared as though someone had been sent ahead of them and had unpack her belongings from the trip already.

Just as she found her place in the book, she realised that she no longer felt sick. In fact, she felt really good. Ana hopped out of bed and went to brush her teeth. She reached over and turned on the bathroom radio, finding the local everything station. They were doing some old favorites and she sung loudly to _All You Need is Love_.

The throwing up had given her a cold sweat. Knowing that the doctor would be coming made Ana want to clean up a little bit. So far, every meeting with that woman had involved a thorough exam and Ana wanted to be washed just in case it came to that again.

She turned the shower on and turned up the music louder so she could hear it over the running water. The fog was filling up the room fast and the sensation gave her goosebumps. She grabbed the body wash and began lathering herself up, singing loud and off-key.

Suddenly, she heard Christian curse loudly from the bedroom. He was at the bathroom door in an instant, demanding to be let in. Ana froze. "What is it, Baby? I'm in the shower."

"Ana, get the fuck out here now! You are supposed to be in bed, not trying out for the goddamn American Idol!"

Ana finished rinsing off and grabbed the nearby towel. She made a few steps to the door and hesitated when her hand touched the knob. "Are you mad?" she asked, leaning against the cold wood, already knowing the answer.

She felt the door shake as he tried to open it again. "Mad is an understatement! If you don't open this door I'm coming in after you!"

_Think, Ana think._ She dropped the towel on the floor and flung the door open. Christian stood before her, shocked at her nudity and her sudden obedience. Ana took advantage of his reaction by sliding past him and making a beeline for their closet. She quickly closed that door behind her and locked it. Only Christian Grey would have locks on his closet doors.

The closet itself was enormous, to say the least. The center of the room acted like a hallway, which was flanked with rows of clothes hung up behind huge smoked glass cabinets. Thankfully, some of her clothes from her past life had been transported to the apartment, so she scrambled to find her sweats and a t-shirt.

Christian did not take long to recover and was now at the closet door making even more threats. She found the sweats easily enough and opted for one of Christian's t-shirts instead of taking more time to look for her own clothes. She also selected a new lacy bra and panties set and hurried to throw the outfit on.

From the lack of profanity streaming from the air, Ana guessed that Christian had abandoned his efforts to get the key to open the door himself. She eased out of the closet and tiptoed out into the living room.

Christian was speaking with the doctor, though he looked none too happy to be doing it based upon his body language. He was fidgeting with something in his hand and Ana knew instantly that it was the key to their closet. Ana gulped before speaking. "Er... hello Dr. Greene. How are you today?"

Christian spun around to face her, visibly irked by her rebellious shower and escapade in the closet. Dr. Greene looked disgruntled as well, but that was likely because Christian had dragged her away from her office for no reason. Ana could not blame her for being annoyed about that. _Try living with him, lady!_

"I am well, Mrs. Grey. I hear that you are not so fortunate. Please, let's go somewhere private where we can chat."

Christian was not going to let that slide. "She is my wife. Anything that goes on I can be present for."

"Is that okay, with you, Mrs. Grey? There is no need for him to be present if you would prefer to see me alone." Ana didn't skip a beat. She was already in trouble and Christian would just make things uncomfortable if he was involved. He would likely just second guess everything that was being done and use any conceivable diagnosis against her in the future.

"Private, please." Her answer earned her a glare from Christin and a genuine smile from Dr. Greene. _That is a first._

Ana led the doctor back to the bedroom and shut the door firmly behind them. When Ana looked at Dr. Greene it was clear that she would be expected to break the silence. _Might as well start with an apology._

"I'm really sorry about you having to come all this way, doctor. There is really nothing wrong with me, Christian just overreacted because I became ill when we got home. I really do feel fine now."

"I believe you, Mrs. Grey, but I need to do a screening before we can determine if there is anything actually wrong. Many times getting sick is a sign of another issue." With that, Dr. Greene began quizzing Ana about all of her symptoms over the last month. Ana mentioned her previous illness and the reoccurring vomiting, enthralled with Dr. Greene's excellent penmanship and note taking abilities. Each letter was perfect, completely contrary to stereotypical physician handwriting.

When she completed the assessment, Dr. Green handed Ana a cup. "Please take this into the bathroom and give me a urine sample, Mrs. Grey."

Ana took it, frowning. "The last time I did this was for a pregnancy test. What are you checking me for today?"

"The same thing," Dr. Greene said off hand, barely glancing up from her paper.

"But I got the shot a while ago and I am not due for another one for a while," Ana reminded her, fidgeting slightly.

Irritated, Dr. Greene exhaled and gave her a look. "I told you before, Mrs. Grey, the shot is not 100% effective. From the symptoms you have given me I am concerned about pregnancy and I want to rule everything out."

Ana blanched. _Not 100% effective?_ Dr. Greene had mentioned something about that, but at the time it just sounded like standard crap. Christian had not even seemed concerned and that man knew of everything about birth control.

Shaking, Ana went to the bathroom and gave as much of a sample as she could. If there was any chance of a pregnancy she needed to know now. What would Christian say if there was a baby?

Dr. Greene gave her a quizzical look when she returned with a full cup, but Ana could care less about what the woman thought. What she wanted were those results.

After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Greene checked the test. "Looks like you are pregnant, Mrs. Grey. Congratulations."


	29. Chapter 29

Ana remained seated, not knowing how to respond. If she acknowledged regretted the pregnancy, how would that make the baby feel later in life? That they were unwanted? But Christian was going to be so mad... at least one parent should embrace the new life. Her hand moved instinctively to her abdomen.

"Mrs. Grey?" Dr. Greene said, slightly gentler this time.

Ana met her gaze, but still did not respond. She felt the tears coming, and then they were gone. What she needed now was to be strong, for herself and for the baby. She took a long breath. "Thank you, Dr. Greene. This is a surprise."

The doctor nodded and began collecting her things. "Wait! Before you go, I need to know, um... what I should be doing. And could you keep this between us? I...want to surprise Christian later."

"Of course. Patient confidentiality is very important to me, Mrs. Grey," she said, pulling out a few papers from her briefcase. "Here is a list of foods to avoid and other activities not to participate in during the different stages of pregnancy. You will want to find a new doctor and I have the names there of several who are respected in the area, but that is by no means an exhaustive list. You will need to make an appointment within 6 weeks because it is likely that you are only about 4 weeks along, what with having taken the shot so recently."

Ana nodded. "And the birth control? It won't hurt the baby, will it?"

"He or she should be perfectly fine, Mrs. Grey. Please do consult a doctor soon, though." Standing to leave, Ana received one more small smile.

She walked over to her bag for work and stuffed the paper in before offering to see the doctor out. It was the only place in the room she knew Christian never looked. She tucked her hair behind her ear and took a deep breath before leaving the bedroom. She was literally shaking from the news.

Christian was waiting for them on the couch in the living room, still looking displeased about being excluded from the visit. He gave the doctor a questioning look. "Mrs. Grey is not ill, Mr. Grey. Congratulations to you both about the recent nuptials."

She looked between them both before making her way to the front door, one step ahead of Taylor. Christian pulled Ana close to him and planted a small kiss on her head. "Sorry about the shower. I guess I overreacted if you are not sick."

Ana snorted. "I love you too, Mr. Crazy." She was too preoccupied with the news to battle it out over the silly run in earlier. She hugged him tighter and scrunched her eyes together tightly.

"At least we know now that nothing is wrong." Oh, if he only knew the irony of his words.

* * *

Christian was forced to spend part of the afternoon at the office and Ana was busy getting ready for her first day back ay work. Less than a week ago, she had been getting ready to go to the same job, but now her heart just wasn't into it. Waiting for Fox Publishing to get back to her had been a true test of patience, but that morning they had finally responded.

Ana was not sure how she was going to make it to the interview, though. The editor who had contacted her requested that they meet the following day for a quick lunch interview. That normally wouldn't have been too hard of a request to accommodate, given the fact that she had an hour long lunch and Fox publishing as literally a block from SIP, but the hardest part was going to be figuring out how to deal with security.

The building that Fox was in housed several businesses. It was not as big as SIP, so it did not require as much square footage, though word had it that they were signing more authors in a quarter than SIP did the entire previous year. Ana had wanted to apply right after graduation but they had not been accepting resumes at the time. The fact that there were a few assistant editor positions open now was nothing short of a miracle.

Ana laid out a very professional looking outfit. It was a dress suit, but that title hardly gave it justice. The black material had felt like a cloud when she grabbed it off the hanger and the matching jacket that went with it had a single row of three buttons and a large belt that cinched in her waist. The nude high heals she had would go perfectly with it.

Still nervous about Christian finding the papers, Ana had decided that she would shred them at work. She had read through everything right after Christian had left and it seemed like pretty common sense things or rules that she had already heard of. _Do people really still think it is okay to drink hard liquor when you are pregnant?_

Just thinking about pregnancy made Ana want to run back to the bathroom. The morning sickness seemed to be subsiding, but she still felt off. She was not sure how she was going to avoid the wine she and Christian usually had for dinner, or how she would be able to set up a doctor's appointment without him knowing, but she had a little while to think about it.

Keeping the baby from Christian was going to be a big issue, she already knew that. Yes, the man hated secrets, but did he hate them more than becoming a father? They had just gotten married. Ana felt like shouldering this burden for a while on her own would give them a chance to just enjoy one another. Besides, Ana had done a little research on her laptop and it seemed like lots of women kept the pregnancy a secret, only wanting to reveal it to their spouse when the time was right. What she was doing wasn't all that different, though she doubted it would give Christian reason to celebrate like the other women's husbands. More like he was going to hit the roof.

Absent-mindedly, she rubbed her stomach. _Don't worry, little blip. You are wanted, by me at least._

Ana jumped as the bedroom door opened unexpectedly. Thankfully, the papers were still safely in her bag and she was able to walk out of the closet and meet Christian with confidence.

"You are back early," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in for a kiss. "I love days like that."

"You were right about postponing the honeymoon. I wish we were away somewhere amazing, but business was rough today." Christian gave her a wary look before sitting down and removing his shoes. Ana started rubbing his back, just happy to enjoy the simple moment that most couples took for granted. Tonight it was just going to be them, no worries about anything else.

"Do you want to watch a movie with me?" she asked, kissing his neck. "We could relax."

Christian mumbled an agreement, surprising Ana with his willingness to sit through a film. Christian was notorious for hating TV.

"Cool, I'll go make some popcorn. Why don't you go pick something out?"

* * *

Christian watched Ana leave for the kitchen. There was no reason for him to be so stressed over work; the company was actually doing great. Flynn had warned him about focusing too much on the things that don't work out rather than seeing the positive big picture and life with Ana defiantly was his big picture. The advice had sounded like a load of shit, but after such a rough day Christian was willing to admit that the argument had some merit.

He began shedding the rest of his clothes and went in the closet to grab a pair of pajama pants. He frowned when he saw that Ana had left her clothes out for the next day. Usually she just grabbed the closest thing in the morning before running out of the door. Why would she take the time today?

_She is still worried about her job._ Maybe buying SIP had been a mistake. Lord knows, the control that he had over Ana's work enviroment gave him great satisfaction, but it seemed like it made Ana even more conscious of their relationship and how others perceived her. She had gotten that position fair and square, but she still questioned his amount of influence in everything involving her work.

Her bag was next to the outfit, propped up with great care. Normally, Ana forgot her bag and Sawyer was required to get it for her. For this reason, it was always by the front door for him to grab on their way out in the morning.

Christian tugged on a t-shirt and grabbed the bag before walking out to the kitchen. Mrs. Jones had gone shopping and so Ana was standing in front of the microwave with her arms crossed, deep in thought.

"Ana?" His voice made her jump. He held up her bag and she looked panicked. "I found this in the closet. We should keep it by the front door so you don't forget it in the morning."

"Good idea," she practically screamed and quickly moved to take the purse from him. Christian frowned and moved it out of her reach. "What is going on with you? Are you feeling okay, Ana?"

She nodded and tried to laugh it off. The timer on the microwave dinged, announcing that the popcorn was done. Taking advantage of the interruption, Ana jumped up and grabbed the purse out of his hands. "Thanks, baby. I'll go put it by the door."

She scurried off and Christian chuckled to himself. Ana was something else. A movie tonight was a good idea; it would give them a chance to relax together. The woman was obviously wound a little too tight. He reached for a bottle of wine and two glasses before following her into the media room. He frowned when he walked past the elevator. Her bag was not in the usual spot on the entryway table. _She really is losing it._

_Or she is hiding something in the bag._ The thought made Christian intake quickly. How could he be so quick to make a judgement like that? Ana's trust was important to him and he needed to trust her, too.

Ana was already curled up with a blanket on the couch when he entered to room. "Do you want a movie or some crap T.V.?" she asked between crunching her popcorn. Seeing her with a healthy appetite was very gratifying.

"Anything you want, baby." Christian slid onto the couch next to her and took her feet into his lap and began massaging them gently. Ana flipped through the channels before setting the remote down.

Christian really wasn't interested in the show, but tried hard to concentrate on what was happening for Ana's sake. He reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the wine bottle. Silently, he poured glasses for them both and offered one to Ana.

Slowly, she accepted the glass before placing it back on the table. Christian frowned; it was a very good year and he had hoped to see Ana's reaction to it. "Ana?"

"Hmm?" Her eyes never left the screen, although this time it seemed like she was avoiding his gaze rather than watching the television. "Try the wine. It is one of my favorites and I don't believe you have had it before."

Ana glanced at him. "I am just not feeling up to it, baby. I'm sorry, I should have told you no wine tonight."

Christian felt himself panic. "Are you feeling sick again? I can have the doctor come back tonight-"

Ana giggled before he could finish his sentence. "Baby, I'm fine. Just tired and excited for tomorrow. Come on, relax Mr. CEO." She gave his hands a playful kick and turned back to the T.V.

He resumed rubbing her feet, not satisfied with her answer, but not knowing what else to say. She had already allowed for the doctor to visit, so pressing the issue seemed moot, even to him. Christian felt her relaxing under his touch and he realised that she had fallen asleep.

_So much for a movie night._ Christian had to smile at the sight of Ana completely at ease. He wanted to give her a life without care and when she slept he felt as though he was succeeding. He hoped that her dreams would never be filled with the troubles his mind bore.

Moving slowly, he turned off the television and scooped her into his arms. She felt far too small when she was so still and he even stopped for a minute to make sure that she was still breathing.

Ana did not stir until they had almost made it back to the bedroom, but when she did she attempted to struggle out of his arms. "Baby, you need all the sleep you can get for work tomorrow," he whispered to her. The words seemed to do the trick because she just nodded in response and allowed him to tuck her into the sheets.

His little Ana was so much more tired than she used to be. She had always required more sleep than Christian, but now it seemed like she was napping longer and more frequently. He made a note to call Dr. Greene in the morning to inquire if that could be an indication for an underlying illness. And if that blasted woman gave him the run around one more time he was going to seek a second opinion.

Christian slipped into bed next to his wife and wrapped his arms around her so he could breathe in the fragrance of her hair. He was a lucky man.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay everyone. Please review if you like it. I know that some people will be frustrated with Ana, but I can honestly see her character putting off telling Christian about the baby under the circumstances. Personally, I would have done the same thing. Hope to update agian soon =)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Since this is a really long story, I wanted to remind everyone (in case people are confused) about what is happening:**

**1) Ana sent out her résumé to several publishers and received an interview with Fox Publishing. It is scheduled to occur during her lunch break on her first day back at work. Chapter 28 gives details about why she wants this job if you need a refresher.**

**2) Christian does not know that Ana is pregnant, that Jack has been acting creepy or that Ana has an interview. Chapters 25, 28 and 29 explain these issues.**

**3) The couple postponed their honeymoon for a week because Ana wanted to return to work (so after this work week is when they agreed to leave).**

**4) It remains unknown who took the incriminating photos of Ana and Ethan and who broke into Kate's apartment and vandalized Ana's room. It is also unknown who sent Kate the email from Ana's work email address. Chapters 16, 18, and 23 talk about these issues.**

**Hope this helps =) Feel free to ask me anything if you are still confused.**

* * *

Ana blinked her eyes a few times to get rid of the sleepiness that had overcome her the night before. Daylight was streaming in through the windows and across her big bed. Her big, empty bed.

_Fuck!_ Christian was already up, so it was likely that she was running late. She propelled herself out of bed and scurried to the closet. On her way, she caught a glimpse of the clock, which set he pulse back into the safe zone.

It was only a quarter until 7, which meant that she had a solid amount of time to prepare herself for work and to get ready for the big interview. Ana gathered up her work clothes and made her way to the bathroom, humming to herself quietly.

The shock of being pregnant had begun to wear off. Since she was not showing yet, it was almost possible to forget that there was a little person growing inside of her. For today, Ana was determined to focus on something else, namely landing that amazing job at Fox Publishing.

She stripped out of her sweats and slowly stepped into the shower, relishing the hot water against her skin. It felt so luxurious to get a moment to herself, to get away from her guilt about lying to Fifty about the baby and to get away from the reality that crazy Jack was her boss.

_To get away from the creep who took all of those photos._Ana's eyes snapped open at the unwanted thought. Yes, that was still an issue, too. It had been so violating to know that someone had been following her and had they had even been watching her from outside Kate's apartment. Plus, there was the whole issue of her email account at work being hacked into...

Yep, that was just another reason to score the job today.

* * *

Christian stared at the computer screen in his home office. He had left Ana asleep in their bed a few hours ago and he still had a little time before he needed to wake her up for work.

He had been going through the SIP reports that he had requested. Kate had confessed to him via email that she had sent the pictures of Ana and Ethan to him. While that had been enough to elicit a few obscenities from him, what had sent him over the edge was Kate's explanation for her actions. Apparently, she had received a bogus email from Ana's work account that had inspired her to send the photos.

Christian had demanded a report for Ana's email account for the day in question and it had confirmed that the message had been sent from her own desktop without any suspicious activity. It seemed like the only possibility was that Ana had left her desk without logging out and someone had sent the message in her absence.

Just the thought that an employee was responsible made Christian's blood boil and it tempted him to forbid Ana from returning to work at all. Hell, he should just liquidate it to punish the bastard who was responsible.

Images of how meticulously Ana had prepared for her first day back flashed in his mind. She had been so happy to get back to work and Christian felt like a heel for wanting to take that away from her. Just to see her happy was incentive enough to work around his desire to wash his hands of the company.

Damn, he really was getting soft. Normally, Christian would just barge in and fix the problem, no questions asked, no prisoners taken. Now, Ana's smile was worth changing all of his plans.

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. For now, he would have to be satisfied with beefing up Ana's security. He had also instructed IT to change Ana's email settings so that she would have to manually log in before sending any messages. Maybe after this week of working and then a few weeks of traveling he could convince her to stop working, though the likelihood of that seemed remote. _Stubborn woman._

He had to smile when he thought about their upcoming honeymoon. Yes, a few weeks of Ana to himself was just what the doctor ordered. He heard Ana greet Mrs. Jones in the kitchen, so Christian gathered his papers into his briefcase and prepared himself for the longest week of his life.

* * *

Mrs. Jones had made a huge breakfast and Ana dug into it without reserve. Christian had given her a raised eyebrow as he watched her inhale two pancakes, several pieces of bacon and a few fried eggs. She had smiled back at him, trying not to act ashamed about her lack of decorum.

"It's too late to get rid of me now, Mr. Grey. Even if I let myself go and gain 60 pounds, you are stuck with me." She finished her assertion with the final bite of her pancake and made a sassy show of hopping off of the bar stool.

Christian rolled his eyes. "I still think you could stand to gain a few pounds, Mrs. Grey, so be my guest and eat all you want." He finished his orange juice and pulled her into his lap. "I should tell you, though, that I know about the email that was sent from your account to Kate."

She looked back at him cautiously, trying to gauge his reaction. If he thought that he was going to keep her from going to work, he had another thing coming. No way was she going to turn into an overly protected housewife.

"Don't look at me like that, Ana. I am not going to make you stay at home. You can go to work, but I am increasing security and you will have to log in each time before you send an email from your account at work."

That didn't sound too bad. For Christian, it was downright reasonable, but of course it had to take place on the day of her interview: the one day that she needed security to be a little lack...or non-existant. Ana scrambled to come up with a response. "What...what will increased security involve?"

She tried to ask the question innocently, like she was just curious, but Christian saw through her tone easily. "It will involve Sawyer waiting at the elevator on your floor and Ryan, a new hire, waiting in a car outside of SIP. It has already been arranged, so don't bother arguing with me."

_Shit! _Her office at SIP was on the 9th floor, so taking the elevator was the only practical way of getting out of the building. Sawyer would probably be responsible for keeping track of everyone who came and went during the day and for escorting her throughout the building, should she need to leave her immediate vicinity. She had been having a hard enough time trying to figure out how to evade Sawyer from his usual station in the car and now there were two forces to be reckoned with.

Ana realised that she had been biting her lip in concentration when she saw Christian's eyes darken. Maybe she should try to reschedule the interview...

"You know what that does to me, Anastasia," he growled as he pressed his hand against the small of her back.

"Sorry, baby, but I've got to go to work. Wouldn't want to be late on my first day back." She gave him a fake smile and slid off his lap with considerably less enthusiasm.

Feeling ill again, she motioned to Sawyer and trudged over to the elevator. In the corner of her eye, she saw Christian wipe his hands with his napkin before following her.

"Hey, are you okay?" He grabbed her arm through her new beautiful jacket. To her surprise, Ana felt tears forming in her eyes. _What? Why the fuck am I crying? Get a grip, Steele!_

"I just want to live a normal life, Christian. Why does everything have to be so complicated? I guarantee you that no other 22-year-old female has to deal with this shit." She stopped and began full-on sobbing.

"I...just...want...to go to work. Why is that so hard?" She leaned into Christian and he wrapped both arms around her, not caring that she was blubbering into his expensive suit.

"Shhhh, baby. Don't cry. I'm sorry about the security, but it really shouldn't change your day at all. If you want to work, well, that is fine. You won't even notice the difference."

Under normal circumstances, Christian would likely be right. How could she explain herself without telling him about the interview? If Christian found out she was interested in another job...well, he would try to buy the fucking company before she ever had a chance to have an interview.

"Okay, I've got to go." She tried to give him another smile, but this one came out shaky from all of her crying. Christian tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her tear-stained cheek.

"Call me if you need anything, okay, Ana?" She nodded and gave him one more smile before following Sawyer into the elevator. As promised, a new man was also waiting for her. She was pretty sure that Christian had said his name was Ryan, but she couldn't remember so she just gave him a smile, too, as the doors closed.

As usual, Sawyer had the car keys in one hand and her purse in the other. How he had found it after she had hidden it from Christian the night before she didn't know, but she was glad that he had because she defiantly would have forgotten it that morning.

_How the hell am I going to make it to this damn interview?_ She glanced at Sawyer, who smiled back, trying to gauge whether he would keep her secret. She would hate to put him in that position with Christian, though. It could ultimately cost him his job if he were to help her go behind his boss's back.

"Mrs. Grey, are you feeling alright?" Ana chuckled at his use of her name; he had called her Ana for weeks when Christian had abandoned her after the incident with Leila and now she was "Mrs. Grey" to him.

"Sawyer, please go back to calling me Ana. I hate the formality. And, yes, I am upset about this arrangement, but you have to have guessed that."

Sawyer just nodded his response, while the new guy remained facing forward with no expression on his face. _God, this one is going to be the worst. _Ana could tell already that he was the classic "bad cop" to Sawyer's "good cop."

When they reached the garage, Sawyer walked to the Audi station wagon that sat waiting for them. Suddenly, Ana had a thought. Maybe if the bad cop hated sitting in the car he would be a little more distracted while attending to his post. Ana stopped short and called out to Sawyer. "Wait, I want to take my car to work."

Sawyer gave her a quizzical look before her words dawned on him. Ana fished out her keys from her bag and held them up. "And I think that I would like to drive, if that is okay with you."

She marched over to the far side of the garage. The old Hyundai that she had purchased when they were separated was parked a good distance from Christian's fleet of fancy vehicles, as though that would cause her to forget about its existence.

Even in the relative darkness Ana could see its cheery green color, reminding her of her sacrificed independence. She pulled the door open and climbed into the driver's seat, happy to be back inside a normal car. The cloth interior and the lack of leg room was just fine for Ana, but when she caught the look on the new guy's face in the rearview mirror she knew that he was less then enthusiastic about the change.

Sawyer was chuckling next to her, reaching for his phone to inform Christian about the new arrangement. As was to be expected, Christian was less than thrilled by Ana's choice of transportation and the fact that she was driving her security team, but they had already entered traffic, so there was little that he could do to stop them.

Ana made quick time of getting to work, though she did not pay very close attention to road. Instead, she was still thinking about how to get to her interview. She pulled into her parking space, grabbed her bag from Sawyer and tossed the keys to the bad cop in the back.

"I want to drive this car home, so please make sure it is here when it is time for me to get off of work." She gave him the sternest look she could muster, hoping that it would deter him from requesting that another car be brought for him while she was at work.

Sawyer regarded her with amusement because she had never attempted to excercise authority over the security team before. She tried her best to avoid his gaze, lest the effect of her demands be ruined by her laughter.

Ana walked with Sawyer to the front door and waited with him for the elevator. "Bet you hate babysitting me, huh?" she asked, trying to make small talk.

She was surprised when Sawyer rolled his eyes at her. "I don't hate it enough to get fired, Ana. I am standing guard at the elevator today and you are not talking me out of it."

She scowled at his response. _Am I that fucking transparent?_ They rode the elevator without speaking, but she could tell that Sawyer was still amused, so it was an amicable silence. He defiantly was the best security member for her, though she was also very fond of Taylor.

As promised, Sawyer retrieved a chair and positioned himself in front of the elevator. He removed a pad of paper and a pen and crooked an eyebrow at her, as if challenging her to get past him. It was Ana's turn to roll her eyes as she turned to wander through the cubicles to her desk.

The nameplate on her wall had been changed to read "Anastasia Grey" instead of "Anastasia Steele." She quickly removed in from the wall and tossed it into her desk drawer. She was determined to keep her maiden name at work so as to avoid at least the bulk of the preferential treatment.

She fired up her computer and looked at the clock. She was a full ten minutes early. That should satisfy her crazy boss. Wanting to face the awkwardness head-on, Ana walked over to his door and knocked.

"Come in," she heard him mutter from the other side. She opened the door and greeted him with a sweet smile.

The look he shot her resembled a snarl. "Well, it is good to see that you managed to show up today, _Mrs. Grey_."

The emphasis on her new name made Ana tense up, though she tried to play it cool. "It is good to see you too, Jack. Of course, please continue to call me Ana. I will remain Ana Steele here at the company, so there is no need to refer to me as Mrs. Grey. Is there anything I can get for you?"

Jack seemed a little thrown off by her positive demeanor, but he soon composed himself enough to wave her out of his office. "Go work on the stack of manuscripts that are piling up on your desk. If you just do your job, that would be good enough for me."

Ana refrained from answering and nodded as she shut the door. If she could just get through work until lunch, this could all be over soon. Normally, she would want to give her job two weeks notice or more before leaving, but in this situation she was ready to bolt the instant she received an offer from anywhere else. The only major problem is that there was no way for her to interview for a new job without Christian finding out. In all honesty, she should write back to Fox Publishing and cancel so that they could schedule someone else during her interview time slot.

She walked back to her desk to find Hanna waiting for her. Obviously, news about the wedding had spread like wildfire and Hanna would be expecting all of the details. Ana paused for a minute when she reached her desk and the wheels in her head began turning. It would be crazy, but there just might be a way for her to make the interview after all.


	31. Chapter 31

Without a word, Ana grabbed Hanna by the arm and dragged her to the ninth floor's bathroom. Hanna had begun protesting, but Ana shot her a warning look that had silenced her immediately. The last thing Ana needed was for Sawyer to become suspicious.

When they reached the bathroom, Ana checked all three stalls before she turned to face her captive. "I need you to do something for me. This is really crazy, but you are my only chance for pulling this off."

Hanna's interest was peaked, so she motioned for Ana to continue.

"I need to trade you outfits during lunch. Please tell me that you brought a long coat to work like you usually do."

Startled, by her outburst, Hanna just nodded. Ana felt herself getting excited about pulling the switch off. She could take the stairs to evade Sawyer by the elevator and once she was outside it would be difficult for new guy would recognize her if she wore Hanna's clothes. After all, they had just met and he was watching from a distance.

As always, Hanna was dressed in a fashionable and professional way. "Oh, um... what size are you Hanna, if you don't mind me asking?"

Hanna shrugged, still unsure about the plan. "I am a size 4 dress and size 9 shoe."

Ana cringed. She was a size 2 or 4, too, so the dress would fit well enough, but her shoe size was a 7, so they would need to keep the shoes that they had on. As if on cue, Hanna held up her hands.

"I am down for helping you out, _Mrs. Grey_, but you have got some serious explaining to do, starting with your wedding and ending with what the hell you are planning on doing in my clothes."

Ana gave a genuine laugh before she lowered her voice and proceeded to tell Hanna all about Las Vegas, the interview and her need to sneak out of the building.

* * *

Ana waited on the edge of her seat as she watched the clock. She had not been able to focus on the manuscripts that she was supposed to be reading because there were a serious amount of butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Being pregnant and hormonal probably didn't help, either.

The plan was for Hanna to come upstairs wearing her long jacket at noon. After they met in the bathroom, Ana would go on lunch and then race down the stairs and make it to Fox Publishing down the street in time for her interview at 12:30. The person who had confirmed her appointment in the email had said that they were impressed with her resume, so the interview itself would be quick and to the point.

If all things went as planned, Ana was hoping to meet Hanna in the downstairs bathroom, change clothes quickly and then get back to her desk within an hour, though in all likelihood she would be a few minutes late. She thanked her lucky stars that she was early because maybe Jack would have mercy on her and not make a big deal about it.

Right on time, Hanna met Ana in the bathroom, looking both excited and scared about the plan. She could only be gone from her desk for so long, so they needed to make the change quick and then she had to get passed Sawyer.

Ana had already undressed and was waiting for Hanna to join her in the large handicapped stall. In all of the hustle, Ana was not even worried about modesty. Hanna unzipped and they exchanged garments hastily. Ana was slightly smaller, so her dress was a little too snug for Hanna to zip up all of the way. Thankfully, the coat that she had brought with her covered that fact up nicely.

Ana, on the other hand, did not fill out Hanna's dress in the way it was intended to be worn, though it was still flattering and conservative enough for an interview. Ana was going to leave her jacket at her desk, too paranoid that the new security guy would recognize it. Unfortunately, it had been raining all day, but Hanna had pulled off another miracle to keep the plan from falling apart. She had brought an umbrella to work, which would effectively shield Ana from the rain and would help to keep her face hidden from view.

Ana checked her watch before giving the other woman a nervous smile. "Thank you so much, Hanna. You are a really great friend."

Hanna smiled back and motioned to her to hurry. They were only wasting precious time by talking. Ana slipped out of the bathroom, careful to check for Sawyer, though to the best of her knowledge he had not left his post all day.

Without incident she made it to the stairwell and removed her high heels so she could take the stairs two at a time. The workout was more than she was used to, but she didn't dare stop or slow down. The time was just too precious to waste.

Ana made it to the floor level and looked through the glass to make sure that the coast was clear of anyone who had seen her already during the day; changing clothes would almost certainly spark interest.

Thankfully, there were only a few people lingering in the foyer, so she put her heels back on and summoned up all of her courage. She held her breath the entire time, exhaling only when she reached the front doors. It was still sprinkling a little, so she opened the umbrella as she stepped outside, shielding her face from where her car was parked.

Ana felt a little guilty about having the new guy sit in her less-than luxurious car for nine hours since it wasn't as necessary as she had thought it would be, but she pushed the emotion away as she hurried down the steps in front of the SIP building.

Keeping a brisk pace, she made it past the intersection and across the street. When she reached the building where Fox was located, she had five minutes to spare. The large building housed several businesses, but she had been informed that her interview would be conducted on the fourth floor by a man named Issac Comer. She hastily pressed the elevator button, using the waiting time to check her hair and catch her breath.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator doors finally opened for her. Ana wasted no time pushing the button for the fourth floor. She was so close to making it to the interview on time. She was not going to accept being late by a few minutes after what she had gone through to get there.

When she finally made it to her floor, Ana again felt tears coming. She had actually made it with a few minutes to spare. She walked up to the reception desk with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. "Hi. I am Anastasia Steele and I have an interview with Mr. Isaac Comer at 12:30."

The receptionist glanced up at her before reaching for the appointment book. "Mr. Comer is just getting out of a meeting, so please have a seat and I will let him know that you are here."

Ana practically floated over to the small collection of deep armchairs. She grabbed a copy of _The Seattle Times _off of the end table. She had just started skimming the articles when she heard an all-too-familiar voice. _What the fuck is Christian doing here?_

She gripped the paper tightly, panicking when she realized that Christian was headed in her direction. She strained to hear the conversation he was having with the woman who was accompanying him.

"Mr. Grey, as always it has been a pleasure. However, you must know that I will remain firm in turning your offer down. This company is my baby and I wouldn't sell for any amount of money. Besides, I am sure that SIP will have a strong quarter with you in charge now."

Ana held her breath; Christian must be talking to the legendary owner of Fox. The woman was known throughout the publishing world for her grit and determination. Apparently, the rumors were true because she was effectively turning Christian's offer down and Lord knows that man could be persuasive.

"Well, if you ever reconsider, please let me know, Jessica." It was so strange to hear Christian pout. It was defiantly not something that he was used to and it showed.

"Have a great day, Christian. Are you sure you don't want to join us for lunch?"

"No, thanks. I plan on surprising my wife and picking her up for lunch after this." Ana nearly fell out of her seat. God, this had to happen today. She frantically tried to think of what to do. If she fessed up right now there is no way she would get the job. Christian was known for his outbursts and it would defiantly be a messy situation.

"Yes, well, until next time, Christian."

Ana waited for a full five seconds after Christian's elevator closed before she dared to lower her paper. In all of the rush, she had forgotten about taking a purse with her. As of right now, she did not even have a cell phone to call Christian and explain what was going on.

"Ms. Steele? Mr. Comer is ready to see you now."

Rising slowly, Ana tried to find the silver lining in the situation. At least if she was hired, there was no way that Christian would be able to interfere with her job; the owner of the company had the right to refuse to sell to him and for that Ana was thankful. Now if she could just ace this interview and rush back to SIP before too much damage was done.

She pushed the door open and found Mr. Comer seated behind a large, solid desk. It reminded her of the one in Christian's office, though it was unlikely that they were very comparable. Everything Christian owned reeked of wealth and was distinguishable as lavish to the trained eye. For the time being, Ana's eyes had remained very, very untrained to such details.

"Please sit down, Ms. Steele." Mr. Comer radiated the appearance of good nature, so different from the vibe she got from Jack. He was rather short and stocky, with large round glasses and a receding hairline. His blue eyes twinkled as he regarded her. "And, please, let's begin with why the wife of the owner of SIP would be applying for the position of assistant editor at our firm."

* * *

A half hour later, Ana glided out of the front doors and onto the sidewalk in front of Fox Publishing. The owner of the company, Jessica Harp, had joined them in the interview. Apparently, she too, was curious as to why Ana wanted such an entry level position at a firm that rivaled her husband's company.

After reviewing her résumé and ascertaining that she earnestly wanted the position, Jessica had been willing to offer her the job. It had been made clear, though, that everything that went on at work was to be held in confidentiality, meaning that Christian, in particular, could not be informed about what was going on at Fox.

Despite the potential conflict of interest, Ana suspected that Jessica was too entertained at the idea of hiring her competitor's wife to pass up the chance. Apparently, being Mrs. Grey still brought her perks, even when she did her best to avoid receiving them.

Ana's good mood vanished when she remembered what was likely waiting for her at SIP. _I guess being Mrs. Grey involves more than just perks._ Jesus, Christian was going to be so pissed.

Ana began speed walking back to SIP, checking her watch to calculate how much time had passed since she had seen Christian at Fox. It had been 40 minutes, maybe 45 minutes since she had seen him. That was plenty of time for him to flip the company upside down and come up with every possible scenario as to what had happened to her.

When SIP came into view, Ana knew that her worries had not been misplaced. The building had been swarmed with fancy black cars and it looked as though everyone was in the process of being evacuated. To make matters worse, it had begun raining in earnest again and there was not enough awning to cover everyone standing outside.

When Ana made it to the area surrounding the building, she found Hanna and handed the girl back her umbrella. Hanna looked relieved to see her, but was obviously still concerned.

"What the hell is going on, Hanna?" Ana whispered, still hoping for an accidental fire alarm pull or something.

Hanna glanced around before answering. "Mr. Grey came to take you to lunch. I tried to stop him from going upstairs so I could call you, but you didn't answer your phone and now he has people searching the building for you."

Hanna paused and chewed on her lip. "Should I have told him where you were, Ana? I think he is worried that something bad happened to you…"

Ana shook her head. "No, you did excellent, Hanna. I need to find him to get everyone out of the rain, but thanks again for everything! Please keep the dress and I will find a way to get this one back to you, too."

Hanna shook her head. "Keep it. I don't want anyone to recognise it as mine. Besides, this outfit is way more gorgeous and will give me an incentive to fit into a size 2." Ana shot her a grateful glance and squeezed her hand before turning away.

Moving her way through the crowd, she could hear her fellow employees grumbling about the rain and the evacuation. Apparently, they had not been told why they had been forced to leave the building, which Ana was silently thankful for. Even though it was all her fault, maybe they would never have to know that.

When she made it to the fount steps, her eyes locked with Sawyer's. God, was he mad. Ana had never seen Sawyer mad before since he generally had a pleasant demeanor and the change was startling. He quickly caught up with her and grabbed her gingerly by the elbow.

"What the hell are you playing at, Ana? Do you want to get me fired? Do you want to freak everyone out?" Ana gasped at his questions, trying to find the words to explain herself, but failing miserably in the process.

Sawyer did not wait for a response and instead led her inside to Christian, who was on his cell phone in the foyer. The look on his face made Sawyer seem downright cheerful. He hung up the phone without a goodbye and closed the distance between them in a few strides.

Not knowing what to expect, Ana stiffened and was surprised when Christian enveloped her in a fierce hug, It felt like they stayed that way for an eternity, him holding her so tightly and not moving at all. The fabric from his jacket muffled all of the noise around them and the only thing Ana could hear clearly was the sound of his heart beating.

Finally, Christian pulled away from her and led her to his car without a word. The rest of the employees had begun reentering the building and Ana was thankful that she had not made contact with Jack in the hurried passing.

Christian slammed the car door behind her after she had climbed inside. He went around to the other side and shut his own door with an equal amount of enthusiasm. They sat together in silence until Taylor climbed into the driver's seat and entered traffic.

"Christian," Ana began, but she was cut off by her husband's look of hostility.

"Anastasia, we will discuss this when we get home. Until then, do not speak." And for once, Ana was more than willing to obey his request.


	32. Chapter 32

**To everyone who wrote me sweet notes asking about the story: thanks so much! Knowing that people want to read more is so inspiring to me and is what made me want to stay up late to update tonight =) You guys are the best and I am very sorry to keep you waiting this long. **

* * *

The elevator ride was just as quiet as the trip in the car. Wisely, Taylor had decided to wait in the garage and let them go up to the apartment alone. At one point, Ana had reached over to try to grab Christian's hand, but he had jerked away from her before she could intertwine their fingers.

_Now is probably not a good time to tell him about the baby. _She would never be able to win when she had to give Christian bad news, that was just the truth of it. If she were to dump the news about the baby on Christian now, he would likely go through the roof. Hell, he might even run again. Her subconscious egged her on, reminding her that secrets were awful for healthy relationships. The realist in her acknowledged that their relationship everything but healthy right now.

Ana's hand moved instinctively over her stomach as she thought about Christian leaving again. It made her, well, it made her sick. Physically sick. Like, sick right now in the elevator. When the doors finally opened on their floor, Ana raced past Christian and headed for the same bathroom that she had utilized just hours earlier for the same purpose. Ah, yes, the worshiping of the porcelain throne. It had become almost a routine for her.

This time was worse, though. The vomiting lasted even longer than usual and she was shaking by the time the dry heaving started. Unlike last time, the throwing up had not brought her any relief. She felt just as bad as when she had started.

On top of that, Christian had not followed her into the bathroom, so if she wanted to lie down in bed she was going to have to walk herself to their room alone. When Ana tried to stand, she felt nausea race through her again.

In an attempt to curb the need to vomit, Ana curled up on the fuzzy bath mat and tried to stay still.; moving was simply not an option. After what felt like an eternity, Ana cried herself into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Ana stretched out and reached for Christian, hoping to find his sleeping body next to her. Unfortunately, all she received was a fistful of his pillow.

The room was dark, but Ana knew that someone had moved her from the bathroom into the master bedroom. In all likelihood, that person had been her furious, yet loving, husband.

The music coming from the living room let her know that he was still close by and inspired her to slip out of bed to find him. As she expected, Christian was playing the piano. The melody was soft and depressed. It took all of Ana's strength not to cry again, knowing that Christian's music was always a reflection of how he was feeling.

She had almost reached the piano when Christian glanced up at her for the first time. His face still held a look of frustration and she knew that he had been thinking about her.

"Baby, I am sorry about today." What else was there to say? It had been all her fault.

Her words caused Christian to stop playing and silence hung between them. "Why do you do this to me, Anastasia? You know I want you safe, and yet you cannot obey the most direct and sensible attempts to ensure your wellbeing. When I couldn't find you, I thought the worst. Your ass should be pink for how you made me feel. I was planning on having you bent over my knee before you went racing off to the bathroom."

Ana sucked in a breath at Christian's admission. He couldn't be punishing her, not with the baby. Of course, the list from Dr. Greene said nothing about rough sex involving corporal punishment, but surely that kind of a given. "You promised me that you wouldn't punish me anymore," she said in a small voice, hoping that her objection would be enough to stow Christian's twitching hand.

He nodded. "I know, Ana, but obviously you need an incentive to behave. Perhaps we should reconsider the punishments. I can't live with your sporadic behavior, not knowing what the hell you are doing. I get it if you don't want punishments for most behaviors; we can leave that off of the table. When it comes to your wellbeing, though, I need to you want to avoid the consequences."

"This is how life is, Christian. People screw up. I screwed up today by lying to you and leaving SIP, but I am not perfect and you can't expect me to be. Your way of handling things is inherently unfair: I mess up and you hit me, you mess up and what happens really? Nothing, that's what happens. Can't you just forgive and we can move on?" She watched as his brow furrowed in response.

Whew! At least that gave him something to think about. Ana moved away from him and to the kitchen to get something to drink. All of the confrontation had made her thirsty and she needed some space from him to think clearly. His pajama pants were riding so low that she should receive a prize for being able to form complete sentences.

Unfortunately, Christian followed her. "Fair point, well made, Mrs. Grey. I will have to give your speech a little more consideration. In the mean time, you still need to tell me where you were this afternoon. What was so important that made you ditch security and cost Ryan, and maybe Luke, their jobs?"

Ana tipped her glass of water onto the counter, but ignored the growing puddle. "You fired the new guy? Don't you even dare consider firing Sawyer! None of this is his fault and you know it."

Christian set the cup up and gave her a reprimanding look for her oblivious state. _If Luke leaves, who will be my new security guy? He really is the best. If he gets fired because of me..._ She got a sinking feeling when Christian's face brightened. "I think I just figured out a new form of punishment, Mrs. Grey. Disobey me again and Luke gets canned, understand? It might not bring me the same kind of satisfaction as my usual way of handling things, but I think it might give you a good reason not to push my patience."

He gave her an assessing look, obviously pleased with himself. Then, out of nowhere, his scowl returned. "But you still haven't told me where you were, Anastasia. Spill it or I'll fire the man tonight."

Ana responded automatically. "I snuck out of SIP because I had a job interview. I hate working there and I knew that if I told you about it you would have attempted to influence the outcome. Jesus, Christian, I would have told you anyway. You don't need to drag Sawyer into this. It just feels... underhanded when you do."

Ignoring her dissent, Christian looked at her with surprise. "A job interview? You had me worried to death over a job interview?"

His voice was eerily quiet and hollow. "I guess so, but it wasn't my intention. Just like how sometimes you hurt me without trying. We both make mistakes, Christian, and today I made one. A really big one." _How many times will I have to remind him about that? You'd think he expected perfection... _Ana tried to avoid the automatic response that her subconscious gave her, but she could not avoid the truth: perfection was exactly what Christian expected from her.

The tension in his shoulders seemed to relax some and Ana took it as a sign that maybe she could reach out to him. Slowly, she started to grasp his hand. So much of her wanted to massage his back and ease his pain, but that was not something that Christian would allow or appreciate.

Thankfully, he squeezed her hand in return. "Ana, you can't keep doing this to me. Every time you disappear, I die inside. I think the worst things have happened. I was about to send out a search if the evacuation was fruitless."

Christian reached up to wipe the tears from her face and she nodded her agreement with his words. She wanted to stop having secrets, but some things had to wait to be said. Ana needed her husband's love now and there was no telling how Christian would react to the news that she was keeping from him. For once, why couldn't he just be a normal husband?

After a few minutes of silence, Christian stood up and walked with her back to the bedroom. "So, tell me about this interview, Mrs. Grey. I have to tell you that if you do find other employment a surprise I have been working on will be less gratifying for me."

Ana felt warmth spread across her body. If Christian was able to tease her about surprises, maybe the arguing was over for the night. "First, tell me about this surprise. You should no better than to use that word around a woman."

Christian chuckled. "Okay. I have submitted the paperwork to turn SIP into Grey Publishing, Inc. The change will be in effect in about a month and I want you to be the CEO of the company. That is, if you will accept the position."

Ana felt her jaw hit the floor. "Christian, that is very generous, but I don't want to be a CEO. If anything, my dream is to work my way up to being an editor."

She watched as Christian's face dropped a little at her admission. "Besides," she continued. "I want to have a job that I earn on my own, that is beyond your reach of influence."

He smirked at her declaration. "Mrs. Grey, I should warn you that any company that you work for will be swiftly acquired by our parent corporation. I thought that you would understand that without it being said."

"That is true only if you can buy it, Mr. Grey. As of today, I have accepted an assistant editor position at Fox Publishing."

Ana heard Christian's quick intake of breath. That was clearly not what he had expected. "Ana, when they find out who you are there is no way they are going to hire you. I bet you gave them your maiden name, didn't you? They will find out, baby."

Catching Christian off-guard was not something that happened very often and to watch it occur was thoroughly entertaining. He was grasping at straws, trying to put doubt in her mind over the security in the position. "They already know, Christian. We discussed it in my interview. I even had the pleasure of talking with your business associate, Jessica."

Christian's scowl grew as he realized that Jessica had likely known about the interview during their meeting. The wool had been pulled over his eyes and Christian hated being on the receiving end of a surprise.

"Well, Mrs. Grey, we'll just have to see about that." Christian walked past her briskly, irritated, but for once not in a dangerous way. Ana took this as a sign that Christian had found a challenge. This could be good for him; that man got his way far too often for her taste.

Thoroughly satisfied with herself, Ana flipped off the lights to the living room and followed her husband to their bed.

* * *

It felt so good to sleep in again. Ana had sent Christian to work with the instruction that he let Jack know that she was quitting without notice. Part of her had wanted to tell the asshole herself, but the majority of her just wanted him to be a thing of the past. Besides, Christian hated him as much as she did, so he would have fun breaking the news to Jack. Thankfully, Sawyer had grabbed her purse and phone when he had discovered her missing, so there was nothing at the office that she needed to pick up.

Fox Publishing had been willing to have her start in three weeks time, which meant that she and Christian could have a short, but proper, honeymoon. Besides, now that she was officially unemployed until then, Ana was willing to leave whenever Christian deemed appropriate.

Not surprisingly, Christian had found it appropriate to leave that night, right after he tied some business of his own. Thus, Ana's main task for the day would be deciding what to pack. Christian had not given her very much of a hint about where they would be going, so she was fishing in the dark.

Hopefully, it was okay to travel to a foreign country while she was pregnant. Ana had not even begun to do a doctor search, so a lot of her questions had gone unanswered. In all likelihood, she was overreacting by wondering about the harm of traveling overseas. Ana's thoughts were interrupted by her blackberry. She reached into her back pocket and scrolled up to see the new email. It was likely just Christian looking to flirt.

She frowned when she was that the email was actually sent to her from her work address. After hesitating for a minute, she clicked to open it.

"None of this matters, you bitch. How long until he finds out all of your secrets?"

Ana stared at the message, reading it again and again. Secrets? She only had one secret now that she could think of, albeit it was a rather big one. Did the person who was hacking into her email know about the pregnancy?

She quickly dialed Christian's phone and he picked up on the first ring. "Hey, Ana. What's up?"

Even despite what had happened, Ana had to smile at the carefree, normal greeting he had given her. It was almost like they were just a normal couple in their 20's.

"Christian, something has happened. Can you come home soon?"

"I'm on my way," he answered tersely. "Are you okay? Go and find Sawyer. He should be in the house somewhere. I'll be there soon."

Ana said goodbye and hung up the phone. She quickly left the bedroom and began searching for her security detail. She found him in the kitchen, chatting with Mrs. Jones.

Both of them turned to her when she entered the room. Sawyer was looking considerably better, though he did glower at her for a split second.

"Um, can I talk to you for a minute, Sawyer?"

"Sure," he said, all business when he saw the hesitation that she was having. "How about we step into the library?"

Ana nodded and followed him into the massive, book-lined room. It was her favorite room in the house by far and she was certain that Sawyer had figured out as much.

"Look," he started. "I was out of line to yell at you yesterday. You are a grown woman, my boss and perfectly capable of deciding what you want to do, which could include firing my ass. So do you accept my apology?"

Ana was stunned for a minute. His apology and lopsided grin were unexpected and charming. "Of course, Sawyer. It was my fault, though. I wasn't very thoughtful about making sure you got to do your job. I was just focused on a goal and it was really wrong for me to give you the slip…again. But that is not why I wanted to talk to you."

Ana took a deep breath before pulling her phone out of her pocket. "I just received a threatening email from my work account at SIP. I called Christian and he is coming home, but he wanted me to find you until he could get here."

Sawyer nodded, still looking at the message. "Um…Ana? Is it overstepping my position to inquire about this? Do you want me to know what these "secrets" are or if they even exist?"

Fidgeting with her wedding rings, Ana was unsure how to proceed. She had not expected to tell anyone about the baby until Christian knew, but maybe it would be better for her body guard to know so he could do his job.

"You are not overstepping the mark, Sawyer. There is something that I have been keeping from Christian, but I don't know how anyone else would know about it. Plus, they are referring to "secrets" and as far as I know, I only have one secret that I am keeping."

She paused, gauging his reaction before continuing. "If I tell you this, do you promise to keep it between us? That you won't tell Taylor or Christian?"

Sawyer nodded slowly. "As long as when you do tell Mr. Grey you promise not to tell him that I knew about this before him, I will keep this between us."

Ana let out a large sigh. "I'm pregnant."

This was obviously not the news that Sawyer had been expecting. "But, the baby is…I mean, Mr. Grey… he is…"

"Of course, Christian is the father!" Ana snapped. "I just know that he did not want kids anytime soon, so I am waiting to tell him until the time is right. Remember, you promised not to tell anyone."

Sawyer eyed her warily, clearly regretting his promise not to tell Christian. "Don't worry, Ana, I won't tell him, but you really should and soon, too."

"I know," she said, as she sank into the leather couch. The piece of furniture was her favorite. It was large and comfortable. She and Christian had already made several memories on it, but that was not something she was ever going to discuss with Sawyer.

Seeing her distress, Sawyer sat down lightly beside her, as though he was afraid that she was going to break at any minute. If Ana had to guess, she would bet that he had not had very much experience with women.

"Do you have any sisters, Sawyer?"

He shook his head hopelessly. "Five brothers." Ana groaned and leaned agianst his shoulder. Of course, the one time she could use some feminine advice, the only person she could turn to was a man with five brothers.


End file.
